Book of Beginnings
by miano53
Summary: The Keyblade War, fought by warriors wielding key-like swords, trying to find the fabled Kingdom Hearts. It brought the world to ruin, plunging it into darkness for millennia. But the Light returned and the world was broken and scattered, but at peace. When the darkness destroys her home, Kairi, with a small compass and new friends, journeys to stop it. (Currently being revised)
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares

_"Pure Light and Pure Darkness: two elements in constant balance that keeps the world at peace. Created at the dawn of time, the two forces oppose and compliment the other. If the balance is shattered and darkness veils the world, people known as the Guardians of the Light shall come. Each holding the "key", a weapon that can change the fate of the Worlds as the user sees fit, be it good or evil."_

_-Lord Ansem Saggio's thesis on "Pure Light and Darkness"_

Chapter One: Nightmares

_Standing in a ruined cafe with rain pouring down from the heavens, two teenagers with brown spikey hair and another with short red hair were on their knees, gravely injured. They didn't looked the part of warriors with the brunet dressed in city clothes of black and red and the redhead in pink and black. Each held key-like swords in their hands, with one being silver and gold and the other pink with a floral pattern. The female teen cried as she was surrounded by death and destruction. Her partner glared at a figure standing a far off as he looked at those that protected him and one of his best friends._

_One was his sister and brother, raven-haired siblings named Mariam and Orfeo. They were inseparable as they were triplets and their protecting him when the darkness came showed their love for him. Next to the redhead, the princess Lenora, were her guardians, Chevalier, Heloísa and Clara. They also tried to protect them, but failed as the darkness took them out within seconds._

_"Why…? Why did you do it, Chao…? You didn't have to. You could've fought…fought back…the dark…" Lenora asked, crying._

_Their friend-turned-foe stood at the entrance, looking at his handiwork. The now ghostly pale raven-haired, very skinny and dressed in butler's attire of a shirt, vest and pants, young man grinned as his red eyes shined in the darkness. The shadows seemed to cling to him and black and purple chains surrounded him. Other chains were scattered everywhere in the café, destroying furniture, busting through the walls and even skewing patrons that tried to run away._

_He looked to the spikey-haired boy, telling him in a darker than usual voice, "I am…"_

_The young man lifted up his arm, summoning a Keyblade that the spikey haired one didn't recognize. It was black and red and shaped like an animal's maw. With a swift motion, Chao lunged at him, ready to remove his heart when a barrier of light appeared, bouncing the attack back to him. Chao stumbled backwards and the two saw a ravenette in white and blue named Mary Margaret._

_She was joined by her guardian, a man named David Nolan. He aimed a gun at Chao and said, "Azure! Princess Lenora, let's go! C'mon! Hurry!"_

_The boy, Azure, grabbed Lenora and the pair ran with the couple out of the area. Chao tried to attack again as they jumped into a car, but Mary Margaret repelled him with another barrier of Light. He fell backwards and the driver, another of their friends named Lea, sped off, taking the group to safety._

* * *

"N-no! No…No…" a redhaired girl in pink pajamas mumbled as she tossed to and fro from another nightmare.

She jolted awake, relieved it was only a dream and that she was still in her small bedroom, not in that terrible ruined city. It was a quaint little one with her small bed, a few chests of drawers, wardrobe, two bookshelves and a desk. Two doors in front of the bed led to the hallway and the other into the bathroom. A window behind the girl's bed and one on the left wall and another on the right poured moonlight into the room. On the white walls were light bulbs and a switch to control them were at the door leading to the hall.

"Kairi? Kairi, are you okay?"

A small white bird, sitting on the windowsill, flew up from behind the girl and landed on her lap. She quickly morphed into a white cat with blue eyes and said, "You had another nightmare. What's wrong?"

"I…I dunno, Naminé. I-I think it's probably from that stew Serah made…Or at least I think it was stew…" Kairi told her, remembering the weird, black, burnt veggie and beef combination the teen made for dinner.

The little cat didn't believe her and said, "Well, I am your _Anima_, the other side of your heart. So, I already know you're not telling me the truth."

Kairi shook her head, saying, "Well, I don't know what's going on like this for the past…"

"Year. Yes, I'm wondering what's going on with you as this didn't happen before and today just happened to be the day when…" Naminé started.

"Mom left me here…" Kairi sighed.

It had been ten years since Kairi had seen her mother and had arrived at the gates of the Departure College. Kairi didn't remember much as she was only four years old, but what she could came back to her in dreams. Her mother and she ran away from shadowy-creatures called the Heartless, never staying in one spot and trying to find sanctuary. The woman avoided towns for some reason and after a while she gave up, stopping at Departure College and giving Kairi a necklace with a small-teardrop pendant.

Kairi remembered her last words to her as her toddler self tried so hard to keep her mother near her. The woman told her to take care and dashed off into the night. Kairi remembered crying and seeing the gates open. Guards with dog _Animi_ pulled her inside and that was the last thing she could remember.

"Well, if she's still out there…then maybe we'll see her again?" Kairi said, not really sure.

The little _Anima_ on her lap curled up and said, "Let's just go back to sleep. You still have school tomorrow."

Kairi agreed, laying back onto her pillow. With a bit of difficulty, as she couldn't stop thinking about her mother, the young teen finally returned to sleep without nightmares.

* * *

_"Kairi, I am Master Eraqus Nexi and here's Hironobu, my Animus. I heard that the guards found you outside the college gates. You and little Naminé," a man in white and grey garb told the child._

_Kairi sniffed, holding Naminé, whose form was of a small white cat with blue eyes. She looked up at Hironobu, a black hawk with eyes that seemed to bore into Kairi's mind. The Anima looked away, burrowing her face in Kairi's arms. Eraqus gave her a sad smile and told her, "Well, I would hope that your stay here will be fruitful, full of happier memories."_

_"I…I want my mommy," Kairi whimpered._

_Seconds later, the girl burst into tears, bawling as she missed her mother. Master Eraqus made no motion to comfort her, as if he was unsure of what to do. Instead, he handed her a star-shaped charm, saying, "Take this."_

_The girl eyed it through her tears and asked, "W-What is this? I don't want it! I want my mom!"_

_"I know. But, this is a Wayfinder and it helps those that lost something find it again. And if you give a Wayfinder to those you care about, you'll find them again, even if you're far, far apart. Like the Paopu Fruit, only not as tasty," Hironobu said for Master Eraqus._

_"What Hironobu said," Master Eraqus added._

_Naminé hopped onto the table, quickly changing her form to a white hamster. She sniffed it and said, "Um, it looks like a regular necklace."_

_"But it can help as I put a trace amount of Paopu Fruit juice on it. It had the power to bind hearts, in a good way, and will help you find those you care about," Master Eraqus told her._

_Kairi took it and thought of her mother. She hoped that it would be like a beacon, telling her mother where she was and helping her find her._

* * *

_Halone 25th, Tuesday, 2011th year of the 14th Lux Era…_

"Kairi? Kairi? Kairi!"

The young redhead, in Departure's uniform of a white polo shirt, black jacket and skirt, knee-high socks and shoes, looked up from her books and saw one of her guardians, Serah Farron. The fuchsia-haired teen had on the same uniform, but wrapped her jacket around her waist. Her _Anima,_ a fox with the pinkish fur, hopped onto the table Kairi sat at and said, "You okay?"

"Um, yeah. Uh, I'm fine," Kairi told her.

Serah looked around the small library and asked, "No, seriously what's wrong?"

"I told you nothing is wrong," Kairi said.

She sat at a table in a corner of the library surrounded by bookshelves and had her books and bag on the table. Papers were scattered on it, which had her homework and she only gotten around to finishing ten percent of it. Kairi's thoughts were scattered and she refused to finish as she stared at the Wayfinder Master Eraqus gave her long ago. Serah sighed, folding her arms and asking, "Did you even go to class?"

"Yes! I just didn't want to socialize with anyone," Kairi said, looking at the pink Wayfinder.

Serah's Anima, a fox named Zarita, said for her, "Well, we can't have you in a funk right now. Let's go. We have Cryst Arte class and you need to work on Healing Artes."

Serah grabbed Kairi's arm and the girl protested, not wanting to go to practice…and her things were left behind.

* * *

_Departure College, courtyard…_

A small group of ten stood in the enclosed courtyard, all wearing coats and armed with various weapons. Their _Animi_ varied and stood next to their hosts as they stood in front of training dummies. One was a rather gruff older teen, standing in a boxer's stance and had icy mist swirling around his fists. Next to him was a young woman that was Serah's older sister, Lightning. She was armed with a blade with a gun attachment, aka a "gunblade".

A light snow shower fell, covering the various bushes and bare trees with a light dusting of snow. Despite the snow and cold, the ten were dressed in Departure's uniforms and didn't let the cold bother them. Kairi watched with Serah as the group used various artes, from Fire to Lightning to Ice and Water. Remembering how the elements worked, Kairi knew that the snow shower was a perfect chance to use Ice or Blizzard Artes.

Ice drew on thoughts of cold and even the weather itself. If one mastered it, they could use the various levels of Ice Artes: Blizzard, Blizzara, Blizzaga, Blizzaja and even some super powerful ones such as Diamond Dust and Glacier. She never seen the higher levels in person, as the fighter with the ice around his fists, Snow Villiers, used mainly Blizzard and Blizzara along with his martial arts.

"C'mon, Liam!" Snow yelled.

Liam, his _Animus_ of a snow owl, raised his wings and said, "Need ice!"

"Froststrike!" Snow and the Animus shouted.

He blasted ice forward like he was a character from Wyvern Sphere Z using a "chi blast" and lunged forward, freezing and then punching the training dummy in front of him. Snow grinned and Lightning muttered, "Show off. Zantetsuken!"

Electricity flowed through her weapon and she leapt forward, slicing her training dummy in two. She was pleased and her fox Anima, Elysia, had a smug expression. Everyone grumbled, not thinking they were as strong as Lightning and Kairi was a bit unnerved. Why did they have to train so much? There wasn't that many Heartless in the region. And if one showed up, the Departure branch of the Holy Sanctum's Guradian Corps would take them out. Unless they're training to join, Kairi thought?

"Everyone, at attention!" the captain of the guard, Cid Raines, called out.

The group, including Serah and Kairi, lined up in two rows and stood up straight. The raven-haired, dressed in white, leader of the Departure Guardian Corps stepped in front of them, his crow Animus perched on his shoulder. He seemed pleased with what he saw and said, "I trust that you all know why you're training like this."

No one said anything and he continued with, "We, the Guardian Corps, are protectors of the populace from the darkness, the darkness being the Heartless that has plagued our world since time immemorial. Those that join the Guardian Corps are fulfilling a calling that the first of the Primarchs, Doga Topapa, received from the Holy Mother. And once you join, you'll be able to protect your family, friends, neighbors and anyone that you care about, all while fulfilling the Will of Light."

Kairi looked at a rather proud looking Snow, who wanted to join to protect Serah. Serah wanted to join to protect Snow and Lightning joined to protect Serah. And Kairi? She was mainly dragged into it and didn't want to do anything with the Guardian Corps. All she wanted to do was graduate, learn more Healing Artes and use it to travel the world as a Medic…a doctor without borders.

"Yeah, you never were one willing to fight, Princess."

She suddenly felt a headache and started to sway as everything started to get dizzy. Naminé shifted her form from a small hamster on Kairi's shoulder to a tiny fairy and fell onto the ground. Kairi's vision quickly darkened as the mysterious voice spoke to her again.

"But you're gonna have to fight soon."

Kairi found herself falling, hitting the snow-covered ground hard.

* * *

_Unknown…_

_"So much to do, so little time."_

_"Huh?" Kairi asked, waking up in a place with dark clouds covering the skies._

_It looked like an abyss and the girl floated about the place, slowly sailing towards a pillar of light. Naminé was nowhere to be found, but Kairi oddly didn't feel panicked at the lack of her presence. After several moments, the girl arrived at a glass tower, with its top depicting a sleeping version of her in a flowing white dress. The image had her sleeping on what looked like a reclining throne, surrounded by smaller portraits of people she hadn't a clue about…until she reached Lightning, Serah, Snow and Master Eraqus'._

_"Do you recognize this place?" a voice asked._

_"Um, no…" Kairi replied as she landed safely onto the glass pillar._

_Three altars appeared, each with different weaponry floating above them. The voice spoke to her again and it felt so familiar, oddly enough. It told her that power, the power to save the world, slept within her and she needed to awaken it._

_Stepping to the altar with a wizard's staff, Kairi grabbed it and heard, "The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff that holds wonder and ruin. You want this power?"_

_"Wonder and ruin…I don't think that's a good thing. Are you saying this power can destroy stuff?" Kairi asked._

_"When used by the wrong hands, yes," the voice told her._

_"Um…then no," Kairi responded._

_She quickly placed it back on its altar and headed to the one with the sword. The redhead grabbed it and heard, "The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Do you want this power?"_

_"Terrible destruction? Why does this sound worse than that staff?" Kairi asked._

_"As I said before, power is only destructive if wielded in the wrong hands," the voice told her._

_Kairi placed the sword back, quickly backing away and heading for the shield. Picking up the red and black shield, she heard the voice tell her, "The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Now, do you want this power?"_

_"Um, well…I don't have many friends…" Kairi said._

_"So, you don't consider Lightning, Snow and Serah your friends, even though they've been with you since you were a child?" the voice asked._

_Kairi shrugged, telling it, "They…They're my 'guardians'. I don't know why I have them, but I don't think they would consider me a friend. Just someone that they were forced to protect."_

_The voice said nothing and Kairi placed the shield back. Looking around at all three, she felt a tug at her heart towards the staff. Next thing she knew, Kairi was standing in front of the altar, holding the weapon._

_Pleased, the voice told her, "So, you chose the power of the Mystic. Now, what will you give up in exchange?"_

_"The power of the warrior. I don't like the idea of having a sword that can destroy everything," Kairi said._

_The sword disappeared and the shield rocketed towards her. Both the staff and shield turned into particles of light, entering her chest and providing a warmth. Just as she opened her mouth to question it, the pillar was covered with inky blackness and she sunk like a stone into it._

_"Hold on. The door won't open just yet. Wake up. Tell me more about yourself," the voice told her._

_Kairi opened her eyes, winding up in the courtyard of the Departure College. There, she saw Master Eraqus sitting at a chess table and speaking with Grandmaster Cid Raines and their Animi. Behind her was Snow and Serah, talking underneath an old oak tree and their Animi. Lightning was at a training dummy, practicing with hers._

_Once again, Naminé was nowhere to be found, but none paid attention. Wondering if she was home, Kairi approached Lightning and the young woman stopped to see her. She, putting away her gunblade, asked, "Kairi, what's most important to you?"_

_"Uh, that's a weird question," Kairi told her._

_"Seriously, what's important to you?" Lightning asked._

_Kairi folded her arms and thought about it. The one thing that came to mind was family. So, she replied with such._

_Lightning cocked and eyebrow, asking, "Is family really all that great? They can cause trouble for you."_

_She disappeared as she resumed practicing with her weapon. Kairi backed away, terrified and went over to Snow and Serah, who didn't notice her approach at first. Panicked, Kairi said, "Snow! Serah! Did you see…?"_

_"Oh, hey Kairi!" Snow greeted._

_"Hello, Kai. Oh, we got a question for you," Serah said._

_"Um, you didn't see Lightning…?" Kairi started._

_"What do you want outta life?" Snow asked._

_Kairi's eyes widened as she was shocked that they didn't see what she had seen. Lightning was suddenly spirited away and they didn't seem to care. Serah gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Like, what are your lifelong aspirations?"_

_The girl went deep into thought again, not able to readily answer the question. She remembered always wanting to leave the College and traveling the world to find her mother…and even helping those on the way with Healing Artes and medicine. So, she answered, "Um, to see the world and help as many I meet."_

_"Hmm…is helping others really such a big deal?" Snow asked._

_"Yeah, what if they aren't grateful for the help?" Serah added._

_The couple disappeared as well and Kairi felt sad and scared. She didn't want anyone else to disappear, so she rushed over to Master Eraqus and Cid, who were in the middle of a chess game. When they noticed, Cid greeted her with a small smile and Eraqus said, "Ah, there you are. We had a question for you."_

_"Yes. I thought the question silly, but the Master insisted. What do you fear most?" Cid said._

_Kairi jumped, seeing the question was quite intrusive…along with all the others. The memory of her mother abandoning her flashed through her mind and Kairi responded with, "Being abandoned and left alone."_

_The two looked at each other, surprised, and then back to her. Master Eraqus replied with, "Is being alone really all that terrifying? You could get a lot accomplished doing things alone."_

_"But…! I…can't!" Kairi started._

_"It's not such a scary thing, especially if you can help others from behind the scenes. That's I did when I was with PSICOM," Cid told her._

_Kairi looked to the ground and said, "But…I can't…I hate being left alone, forgotten even…"_

_The two vanished and the scenery around her distorted and swirled about. Shaking in fear, Kairi said, "I…I don't want to be alone!"_

_"So, you care for family, you want to help others with your power and you hate being alone. You fear that if you open your heart, you'll risk being abandoned by those you care about. And since you're shaking at the disappearance of those you call 'guardians', it seems that you care about them a great deal," the voice from before told her._

_Kairi sniffled, wiping her eyes as tears fell, and nodded. She could see in her mind's eye a masked woman in white with long red hair nodding with her. The woman gave her a hug and told her, "Just remember, you'll never be alone. Never."_

_A bright light and the last thing Kairi heard was, "You'll be a Key to open the Door."_

* * *

_Later, Kairi's bedchamber…_

Master Eraqus, Cid and Lightning stood around Kairi's bed as the girl and her _Anima_ slept. She had fainted during training and the old Master sighed. Finding a chair, he sat next to the bed and said, "I was hoping that all of this would wait. But, now she'll be drawn into it."

"But, I thought it wouldn't happen until she was at least 18. She's still only a child, 14 years old. What could the Sanctum possibly want from her?" Cid asked.

"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing. I haven't seen it from her and Naminé really only changes shape whenever we're around her. But it happened if front of Guardian Corps trainees," Lightning added.

Master Eraqus refused to look away from the girl and said, "I erased that part from their memories. All they saw was Kairi fainting with Naminé in her normal state."

"So, Serah and Snow…" Elysia asked for Lightning.

"They saw what really happened, Naminé changing forms. But, I will need you all to be on guard. The Sanctum and the dark forces will likely search for her as her power has started to manifest itself once more," Master Eraqus warned.

Cid nodded and muttered, "So, they cycle begins anew?"

"Yes. I truly hoped this would all wait," Master Eraqus said, looking sad for the girl's fate.

He sighed and told the two, "I'll will send word to him. Let him know that Kairi's power is awakening and that we need to find the others before anything happens to her."

"Okay. I'll tell Serah and Snow about it. And don't worry, we'll be quiet about it," Lightning said to the elderly master.

"And I'll keep an eye on my people. If anything, the Primarch would go after her," Cid added.

"But do we tell her?" Elysia asked for Lightning.

Master Eraqus shook his head, saying, "Nothing. It'll only make the dark forces more drawn to her."

* * *

_Well, for those that noticed, I've taken down the other chapters. I felt that there wasn't enough character development and world building. That and the story seemed rushed and was a bit confusing._

_With this new revamp, let me know what you all think._

_-miano53_


	2. Chapter 2: Bids for Power

_Well, here's the revamped chapter two. And for musical inspiration and accompaniment, "Hollow" from Final Fantasy VII remake, "Answers" from Final Fantasy XIV and "Phillip" from The Crown were used for inspiration. _

_Once again, all ideas belong to their respective properties._

_-miano53_

* * *

"_Departure College: a campus of scholars dedicated to the study of the world located in the north on the Eternia continent. Through their research, the Duchy of Eternia learned about the "world border", a forbidden topic by the Sanctum, among other things. And due to the Duchy, the Sanctum hold no power over the institute. Their pursuits of knowledge are only curbed by the will of the Grand Marshal, the ruler of Eternia."_

_-World Ultimania, vol. 3_

Chapter Two: Bids for Power

"_Mommy, where are we going?" Kairi asked._

_Only four years old, the small child was carried by her mother and the brunette walked through the town wordlessly. Dressed in what seemed to be nomadic clothes of a blue bandana, tan dress made of cotton and fur, and a blue overcoat of dyed wool, the woman had hurried out of their habitation, a local inn. Kairi didn't know what was going on, but Naminé, in sprite form, was being carried by her mother's Anima, a striped cat. _

"_Mommy?" Kairi asked._

_Her mother continued her trek in silence, and the girl remembered being woken up and taken by her mother in the middle of the night. She left her stuffed bear behind and her mother didn't stop to pick it up as they left the inn. As the town they were in faded from view, Kairi asked one final time._

_Her mother found a series of trees and bushes to hide behind and told her to shush. The girl slapped her hands over her mouth and for a few moments, nothing happened. After what seemed like forever, a group of warriors, SOLDIERs from the Sanctum as indicated by their white and blue battle uniforms, ran pass. Their dog Animi sniffed around, as if looking for something._

_The men, a bit distraught, asked each other, "Where did she go? I dunno. I was gonna ask you. She couldn't have gone far."_

_Their captain, a tall youth with silver hair and armed with a katana, approached. He wore an all-black version of the uniform and his Animus was of a silver hawk. He looked around and said, "She's getting better at hiding her tracks."_

"_Sephiroth, what's the deal with that lady? I could be back in bed right now," one SOLDIER asked._

"_That lady is Lady Suki of the Hasegawa clan, Genesis. They're on the Sanctum's watchlist as they have a certain someone in their family with a forbidden power," the youth, Sephiroth, told his cohorts._

_Another SOLDIER, sounding none too happy about everything, said, "If they're so important, why do they got us looking for 'em?"_

"_Because that person is a 'Princess', Angeal. We find her and bring her to the Primarch. Then, we'll be able to fight the darkness better," Sephiroth told him._

"_I just wanna go to bed…" a fourth muttered._

_The SOLDIERs left, with Sephiroth taking a look at the trees and bushes Kairi and her mother hid in. He didn't spot them and he left, muttering, "She's going to have to give her up sooner or later."_

_Kairi held onto Lady Suki and the woman said, "We have to keep moving."_

* * *

_Three days later, Halone 28__th__…_

"_So, she has begun to reawaken?"_

A man dressed in white priest robes with gold trimming, sat on a rather elaborate throne, looking at a floating blue crystal in front of him. He wore a tri-crown on his head, the crown representing his authority over the world's populace and governments due to the Will of Light. A staff was in his left hand and his owl _Animus_ was perched on it.

On his right and left were Sanctum priests and military officials and their varied Animi, including Cid Raines and his crow _Animus_, Shouta. The raven-haired man looked over at his coworker/rival, a woman named Jihl Nabaat. The tan-and-green-leather-wearing woman in glasses smirked and he knew she was only so cocky as she was the head of the elite forces of the Sanctum, the PSICOM. The Guardian Corps paled in comparison, so the rivalry was usually heated.

"What you all will see must never leave this room. The fate of our world depends on your silence," the grand priest, or rather Primarch Galenth Dysley, said to everyone.

He slammed his staff and lights in the room dimmed. The crystal began glowing with ethereal light and flashed brightly. Cid had to close his eyes not to get blinded and opened them to find that he and the others were in a star-filled realm.

"We all know the legends of our world, the legend on how our world came to be, the destruction of the previous one and the arrival of the Heartless. And with the legends, come truth," the Primarch said.

Images of warriors fighting in barren plains, under a dark sky with the only source of light a blood red, heart-shaped moon, appeared. There were many factions, but the most prominent were warriors wielding key-shaped swords and armies with devastating _machina, _or machines. None had _Animi,_ the animal personifications of people's hearts, at their sides and they fought each other viciously.

"The war that started it all, the Keyblade War. The people warred with each other, trying to claim the Light for themselves, only to bring about the world's destruction," Primarch Dysley said.

The heart-shaped moon started to crack, a lightning blue crack appearing in the middle. Within moments, as the battle reached the climax, the heart shattered, breaking into two. From the fissure came down a massive door. Cid recognized it from scriptures that door being the gates to the Holy Realm. But there was something off about the door. Instead of Light and a feeling of peace, the door spews out black mist and had a terrible feeling of dread.

"The war was successful in bringing Kingdom Hearts, or so they thought. The people's war brought forth the forbidden door and it opened…" Primarch Dysley said.

The doors slowly opened, the black mist increasing. After several moments, the doors flung opened and the black mist latched onto anything it could, turning anyone touched by it into Heartless. The _machina _broken down and absorbed into the darkness and the landscape became black as night. Everyone tried to run, but it was futile as the darkness took everything.

The images faded into black and Cid wondered what was going on. He hoped the lights would turn back on soon as he couldn't see a hand in front of his face. Primarch Dysley's voice was the only thing that rang out and he said, "But, all hope wasn't lost. By the Holy Mother, children brought back the world via their prayers to Her."

Small particles of light floated from a bright light in the sky. Cid looked up, seeing a figure of light and the particles that rained down. Larger particles appeared, hovering around children and youths that survived but lost in the darkness. Others hit the ground, illuminating pathways for the youths to walk on.

As more and more of the pathways were created, seas, rivers, oceans, mountains, plains, the sky and other landscapes returned. Animals did as well, but some animals stayed at the youth's sides, producing odd auras. The youths looked to them, many confused, and jumped when the animals spoke.

"And with Her wisdom, She created the _Animi_, the animal personifications of our hearts. They protected the children then and they protect us now, giving us the abilities to survive in a world plagued by the Heartless," Primarch Dysley said.

The images faded and the lights turned back on as the crystal's dimmed. Everyone looked to the elderly Primarch, with Jihl asked, "Your Eminence, why show us this? Most of us already know this from grade school."

Cid wondered the same and the elderly man replied, "We've received word that a pulse of that Light, the Pure Light, appeared in the north, in the land of Eternia."

Cid gulped, knowing it was Kairi. The others didn't notice his nervousness and a priest asked, "But, the Grand Marshal wouldn't let us step foot on his shores without a good reason."

"I know. That is why I'm sending Cid and Jihl to investigate. Cid, this is your territory, is it not?" Primarch Dysley asked.

The raven-haired man nodded and Jihl asked, "I'm sure that my forces would be better suited to find the source. But, I would like to know why we're looking for this…source."

"We must act now to find it as the darkness is mustering to find it. We must find it before it does…and especially before the nomads. I'm sure they've seen and felt it," Primarch Dysley told her.

A second priest said, "We mustn't let those heretics capture the Light or else they'll use it to spread their herectical teachings!"

"I agree. We must act now! Lest we lose our chance at keeping the Holy Mother's Teachings with the people!" a third shouted.

"And we could show the Duchy the value of heeding Her Words and not dabble in things best left forgotten!" a fourth added.

Cid didn't think the idea was a good one. The Duchy of Eternia was already at odds with the Sanctum since the aftermath of the plague of 1905, where many of the world's citizens had fallen ill and half of the ill dying within weeks of contracting it. The Duchy and the local Sanctum branches had gone and investigated the cause, but both were excommunicated as they found the source to be from "another world".

Without the Sanctum's help, the Duchy fended for itself against the Heartless and fighting off the plague. But, eventually, the Duchy succeeded in eradicating it, forsaking the teachings and following local nomadic advice and science. The Sanctum followers there became either irreligious, apostate or followers of the nomadic traditions. It took decades, but the Sanctum managed to reopen a branch in the duchy as a sign of good faith to the people there.

Not wanting to mess that up, as it took Cid and his predecessors many years to solidify a relationship with the dominant college of the duchy, Departure, he said, "Um, sir. May I interject."

"Yes? Go on," Primarch Dysley told him.

"If we go in, with PSICOM, the Templars, the Guardian Corps and the works, the Duchy will only retaliate negatively. And rightfully so after what our predecessors did to them," Cid said.

The monks looked offended and Cid said, "It's true! They're not too keen on having Sanctum rummage their lands. After being betrayed by us, they've resorted to valuing knowledge above all else. So, I really, really advise against destroying the fragile faith we've regained by sending in the military to find the Pure Light."

"So, you really think that you can find it? Without military aid?" Jihl asked.

"You and he shall search for it. I trust that you two wouldn't be at each other's throats the entire time," Primarch Dysley said.

Cid sighed, not wanting to work with Jihl. He remembered all the times she bullied him during their tenure as a monk and nun for the Sanctum and even during their childhood. And her rising in the ranks of the Sanctum…It was like a slap in the face for him. She wasn't a kind person and he doubted that she would be respectful to the Duchy…

"Do not worry, Your Eminence. We'll return with the Light and ensure that no one or anything succeed in getting it," Jihl told the Primarch, bowing.

'If only you knew 'it' is a 'she',' Cid thought.

* * *

_Unknown seas…_

"_Long, long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of Light. Everyone loved the Light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the Light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared." _

"_But small fragments of Light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of Light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the True Light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the True Light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a Light to guide you. Believe in the Light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away."_

"_Sora, dinner's ready. Come on down. Sora?"_

"_Lady Mari tell it again!"_

"_Oh, not now. Your mother is looking for you!"_

* * *

A blonde dressed in nomadic clothing with a black and white bandana around his neck looked up from his book, seeing a boy that looked exactly like him. They were in one of the halls of their ship, standing outside of a set of large doors. Those large doors led to the meeting hall of the ship, which rocked and forth in the waves. Next to them were falcon _Animi_, both golden brown in color.

"Aw, why can't we go in?" the second blonde said.

"Because Lady Ayame said no, Ven," the first blonde, the one holding the book, told him.

He went back to reading and his twin plopped next to him. Ven, or Ventus, whined and muttered, "I'm so bored…Roxas, you got any ideas?"

"Then find something to do. Like clean or something," Roxas told him, getting annoyed.

"Or you can join us in building a raft."

A brunet with spikey hair and a silver-haired one dressed like other nomads, with their tan pants, shirt and bandanas in their favorite colors, appeared. The boys seemed a bit peeved and Ven said, "Hey Sora! Riku!"

"What are you doing at the door?" Riku asked.

"What's it look like?" Ven told him.

Roxas looked up from his book, seeing the duo. He answered for his twin, Ventus, "He's trying to get into the meeting hall. I am wondering what they're talking about too, but…"

"Well, our parents told us not to go in. So, I'm sure there's a good reason," Riku said.

Sora put his hands behind his head, saying, "I dunno. I wanna know too. Like, why are so many of us headed for Eternia? If there's some Light there, then shouldn't it be a few of us? Not a whole army?"

Roxas didn't think Sora was that observant, so his surprise was expected. Ventus then added, "Maybe the Light's a treasure or something! Or maybe something that the Sanctum doesn't want us to know!"

"Uh, yeah…I guess," Riku said.

Sora and Ventus headed for the door, listening in. As they did, Roxas could sense Sora's _Animus_, a brown hawk named Zeru. Riku's _Animus_, a wolf named Kiba, was on deck and he could sense the two headed towards them. The door opened and the four saw the two Animi barreling towards them. Zeru slammed into Sora's back, nearly causing the boy to crash into the door, and Kiba slid to Riku's side.

"Okay, why are you two rushing?" Riku asked.

"Uh, um…Well…" Kiba started.

Zeru piped up, yelling, "We're crossing…!"

"SHH!" Sora and Ventus said.

The Animus quieted down and he whispered, perching himself on Sora's shoulder, "We're headed for this super pretty galaxy-like world. I think it's the World of Light."

"We are?!" Ven yelled.

He rushed off, with his Animus, Paolo, following behind. Roxas' Animus, Cesare, stared and asked, "Um, are we following, Rox?"'

"I guess so," Roxas told him.

He got up from his seat on the floor and Riku helped him up. The two headed topside, seeing the raft Sora and Riku were working on. It was more of a few planks taped together. A rather pathetic sight to Roxas.

But his attention was soon turned to the sky, or lack thereof. Instead of a sunny sky on the open sea, it was a barely star-lit sky. The nomadic ships traveled on a river of yellow light and many other paths were the same color.

Roxas remembered that was how the worlds looked like from Inner Space, pathways of light connecting to a central source, its heart. Each world had its own color and some pathways weaved around others. If the many missing stars were there, the sight would've been much more beautiful.

"We'll figure out what's going on. But, we gotta find the Princesses of Heart first," Cesare said to Roxas.

Riku overheard him and asked, "Who's gonna look for them?"

"Oh, um," Cesare started, perching on Roxas' left shoulder.

"We don't have Keyblades, so how are we gonna help find them?" Riku said.

"We'll get them eventually. Mom and Dad got 'em. And your mom has one too," Sora said.

Riku looked at Ven and Roxas, saying, "But we don't know about their parents. And the Keyblade isn't always hereditary."

"Well, we'll probably find out soon if either of us can use it," Roxas said.

* * *

_S.S. Uchiha, meeting room…_

The nomads, all gathered from different worlds, sat around a round table, filled with food, candles and dishware. They, being the leaders of their clans, sat in wooden chairs with the emblems of their clan on the back. Their clan members sat next to them, ready to listen to the head of the Nakashima clan, Soren…Sora's father. He didn't sit, letting his wife, Ayame, do so.

The leaders had differing _Animi, _but the main groups were those with wolf _Animi, _hawk _Animi, _falcon _Animi, _tiger _Animi _and crane _Animi_. Soren and Ayame both had hawk _Animi, _with Soren's being black in color and Ayame's brown. He asked for those there to clear the table as he placed a map of Eternia on it.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice and thank you for your sympathies on the anniversary of our children's loss," Soren started as translators interpreted what he said.

Ayame looked down and said nothing as Soren continued with, "We have waited for this day for the past 400 years, since the age of the World of Fading Light's Father Lyon. The Light that we're looking for, the Pure Light, is our salvation and can be our downfall."

One leader, a woman from the _Lupo_ tribe, asked without a translator, "So, what did you find?"

Ayame spoke up, saying, "We found a sudden spring of Pure Light coming from Eternia. To be specific, the college of Departure. We need to find it first, before the Sanctum of that world does."

"Yes, I'm sure that Primarch Dysley has already sent troops in that direction," Soren said.

The same woman raised her hand again and Soren said, "Yes, Lady Tamar."

Lady Tamar, a brunette in the darker, leather clothes of the _Lupo_, asked, "So, you called us all to go to war over some light?"

"No. We…well…" Soren said.

"Yes. But not against the Sanctum. Against the darkness that masquerades as Light," Ayame answered.

Lady Tamar didn't see to convinced and another lord, Lord Regis of the _Lucii, _nomads with falcon _Animi_, said, "But we've our own problems. You know of Maleficent, do you not?"

"Yes, I do. But we have to find the Pure Light first. Before the Sanctum or even her. If not, then we're doomed," Soren told him.

The nomad was then asked to agree to help. Most didn't, to Soren's dismay. They did, however, agree to use their power to fight the forces of darkness and to protect other clans of the different nomadic nations.

"You all don't understand. If the Pure Light is taken…" Soren started.

"We risk another Keyblade War. We understand. It's just…we're not strong enough to face the World of Light's Sanctum in battle. We need a better plan than 'fight them for it'," Lady Tamar told him.

Ayame looked at her husband, muttering, "I told you."

"Eh, fine. What would be better?" Soren asked.

"You can send in a small unit, Soren-_kun,_" Riku's mother, Lady Chiyo, said.

Like Riku, she had silver hair, but it was tied up in a bun to match her black kimono, dress traditional for the _Umi no Okami_. Her water-colored eyes looked tired and Soren remembered so much she went through. But, they needed her help if they were to find the Pure Light.

"Riku can go, dress like a mainlander and find the Pure Light at Departure. But, I would feel better if it wasn't just him," Chiyo told him.

Ayame shook her head and Soren said, "We could send in the boys."

"No! No! I've already lost two children. I'm not prepared to lose more!" Ayame yelled.

"We'll keep to the shadows and watch over them, Lady Ayame," Lord Regis said.

Ayame shook her head and Soren muttered, "Ayame, please. We need to do this. Remember what DiZ told us…"

The woman did and resigned to the group's decision. Sora, Riku, Ventus and Roxas would go into Eternia, head for Departure College and look for the source of Pure Light. Once they found it, they were to bring it back by any means necessary. But, how? Neither of the boys had a weapon that could fight the darkness or anyone that would try to destroy them. The most they've ever had for weaponry were the wooden swords Soren and Rikuto, Riku's father, had carved for them long ago.

"They'll be fine. Have faith," Soren said.

Ayame rolled her eyes, not believing him.

* * *

_And there's chapter two. Now, we have more of a reason why Kairi is important. And Roxas is officially in this now, not a past life or an Animi. But his own person! I hope that's a good change._

_Anyway, thanks to those who are still reading this and have patience with me as I make the necessary changes to this fic. I want it to be less confusing and more descriptive than before._

_-miano53_


	3. Chapter 3: A Compass of Light

_"The Taka tribe, a tribe of nomads with hawks of varying hues for Animi, are said to be descendants of __warriors__the __lost kingdom of Doma. Like the Umi no Ōkami, or Sea Wolves, they are deemed heretics by the Sanctum. They are notorious for raids against Sanctum ships, especially airships, villages and small towns within Eden's borders. They also have troubled the hearts of the people, spreading teachings about the Light contrary to those of the Sanctum and the Holy Mother. If seen, the Taka members are to be arrested on sight. No exceptions."_

_-a memo from the Guardian Corps, Palompolom branch_

Chapter Three: A Compass of Light

_Menphina 2__nd__, Departure Harbor…_

"So, where are we to go from here?" Jihl asked as she and Cid disembarked at the port.

Cid looked around, seeing the bustling southwestern Eternian port town. Ship crews were loading and unloading cargo. Merchants were lined up near the docks, selling their wares and accepting foreign cargo. Eternian soldiers inspected what came off the ships and some spotted Jihl with Cid.

The pair were accompanied by a few of the PSICOM, drawing the ire of Eternians that noticed. Cid knew it was going to be a bad idea, but Jihl insisted to bring some of her own. Especially if Heartless appear while they were attempting to capture the Light. Some soldiers approached and Jihl immediately became defensive.

"Hold on…Um…" Cid told her.

Surrounding them, one of the soldiers asked, "Are you Master Raines?"

"Yes. I've come here with guests to investigate a powerful energy coming from the North. Under the orders of Primarch Dysley," Cid said.

The Eternians looked at him and then to Jihl and her forces. As Cid had said, they became very suspect and the leader asked, "So, you're not here to enforce your master's will?"

"No, I wouldn't! I'm just here with help to investigate that energy wave. We need to know if it's Heartless. And I'm sure the Grand Marshal wouldn't have to many qualms about it. And if you need that reassurance, then take us to him," Cid said.

Jihl sighed and said, "We have seniority over these neophytes. Let us pass or else."

She readied her baton that she wielded like a rapier, to which Cid said, "No! You're not fighting anyone here today. We'll head to see the Grand Marshal and tell him what's going on."

"But…!" one of the PSICOM said.

Cid told them, "Look, it took too long to get the Eternians to trust the Sanctum again. I'm not going to allow for that over your sense of inferiority."

Jihl glowered and the Eternians led them to a guarded caravan. They then took off, heading towards Eternia Central Command.

* * *

_Three hours later, with Sora, Riku, Roxas and Ventus…_

The boys, coming into an abandoned part of the docks on a small lifeboat with a makeshift sail, landed and was a bit amazed at the area they had seen. The four wasn't really dressed for the continent, wearing whatever thick furs they could find. Their clothes were the usual nomadic attire, but Riku hoped that no one would notice. But, that was highly doubtful.

"So, where do we go from here?" Ven asked.

Their _Animi _fought the urge to go exploring, knowing that if they were caught, Riku and the others would be in danger. The abandoned docks had old boxes and buildings that looked to be ancient fisheries. Lampposts that seemed to have had better days lined the edge of the docks, flickering on and off. The sight looked like something from the old stories of Jacques the Ripper of Victorian legend and Riku wanted to leave.

Roxas checked a map and said, "Well, we're here…in the southeast. The college and town are _all_ the way here in the northwest…about 150 miles from here…And near it are mountains, caves and Eternian Central Command…Just great…"

"So, we gotta go through the snow…? Aw…" Ven whined.

Sora looked at his coat and said, "At least we got these!"

"But we're practically about to trek through a freezer…" Riku told him.

"We'll be fine…I think…" Roxas said, muttering the last bit as he put the map away.

The sound of a guard shouting had the four leapt up to the rooftops, their _Animi _following.

* * *

_With Kairi…_

As classes were over and she had nothing better to do, Kairi went on her usual expedition of Departure College. The girl had never managed to see the entirety of the campus, as the place was practically the size of a small town. Since arriving over ten years ago, Kairi would explore the nooks and crannies of the place. Her explorations allowed her to find old libraries, storage rooms and even the occasional office or two.

Naminé followed closely, her form of a white cat, and Kairi went through a series of hallways in the east wing that no one really used. She then stopped in one of the old libraries, filled with ancient books and dust. A lot of it.

"I don't like coming here, Kairi. Why do we come here?" Naminé asked, changing into dove form and landing on Kairi's right shoulder.

The white and purple dressed girl looked around, saying to her _Anima_, "I don't know why, but it feels like there's something here. And I want to know what it is."

"Yes, but do we have to be there? Maybe some secrets are best kept buried," Naminé asked.

"'Secrets are only truths just waiting to be discovered,'" Kairi said, quoting Eraqus.

"Yeah, but some truths can get people killed. And I really don't want anything to happen to you. If you die, I turn into dust," Naminé said, terrified.

Kairi sighed, as she already knew that. But they were going to be fine. The campus wasn't like the haunted houses they would hear about in stories or like dungeons in Fables of Delta. Nor was it like the magical campus in the Henry Stockpot series. So, the explorations were pretty much safe.

Naminé begged to differ, thinking that if anything happened to Kairi while in the areas that many didn't go to, then…

"Nothing going to happen to me. We'll be fine. Anyway, what's the deal with these books?" Kairi asked.

She looked over the titles of the books and saw that many of them were unreadable. They were also alphabetically and color arranged and something about the arrangement of the library seemed…familiar somehow. Almost as if she had been there before. But that wasn't possible as she had only been there ten years and the campus was massive.

The names were very odd and some were scattered on the floor. The ones on the floor titles were "Azal: vol. 3", "Hafet: vol. 4", "Khama: vol. 8", "Mava: vol. 3" and "vol. 6", "Nahara: vol. 5", "Salegg: vol. 6", and "Theon: vol. 6". Kairi headed for the book labeled "Azal" on a nearby table and opened it. She then gasped, seeing various symbols that apparently was some kind of language.

"What's this?" Naminé asked, fluttering near Kairi's left shoulder.

Kairi shrugged, looking around for the matching book set. She found it at her right, as a large bookshelf blocked what seemed to be a pathway. Placing it in the correct spot, the bookshelf moved backwards, turning into the wall and revealing a desk and old lamp with ancient stationery on it.

Picking up the letter, as it was in the Universal script, Kairi read, _"'Thaliak 23__rd__, 1964__th__ year of 14__th__ Lux Era…I've been researching the two elements that govern our world, Pure Light and Pure Darkness. The subject matter is still forbidden, even by the masters here in Departure. Eraqus and Ansem don't see the value in such things. But, I will show them…and the Sanctum that such knowledge can lead our peoples back to greatness, like the civilizations of Zanarkand and Bevelle, the Reich of Heim and the legendary Gardens…X'"_

"Huh? Who's 'X'?" Naminé asked.

Kairi shrugged and spotted the next one, the book "Hafet". She went to another bookshelf, which had the matching set, near the left side of the library. There, she placed the book on the second shelf and a click was heard. The bookshelf moved, back and sliding behind the one next to it. Another room was revealed and it was a small bedroom of sorts.

Due to its owner being long gone, dust and cobwebs were everywhere. But there was an open journal on the bed. Curious, as she wondered where this was going, Kairi took the book and read another passage.

"'_Rhalgr 19__th__, 1967__th__ year of the 14__th__ Lux Era…I've discovered small 'fountains' of sorts of Pure Darkness, located in places where the Heartless populations are unusually high. One of them is near the college, the so-called Caves of the Past in the southern mountains…near the ancient Earth Temple. Following the streams, I spotted the spring, flowing from a statue of a man in armor, holding some kind of oversized key. After taking a few photos and doodles, I found the Heartless to greatly fear the statue and none dared attacked while I studied. I shall continue my research on it…especially about this 'key'…X'"_

Naminé sat on Kairi's shoulder, saying, "A 'key'?"

"Um, I guess it was kinda like a key that cities' mayors give to people when they do good," Kairi said.

"But the 'X' guy said that darkness came from the statue. So much so that even Heartless wouldn't go near it," the _Anima_ told her.

The next three books, "Khama" and "Mava vol. 3 and 6", led to a hidden room in the library's second floor. After going up some stairs and finding bookshelves on her left, Kairi found their proper places, opening a passage to a third secret chamber. This time, the chamber was an old _machina _room.

A large sphere monitor, a keyboard and a chair was in their respective places, with the monitor and oversized keyboard mounted to the left wall. On the right were maps and had many circles all over it. Writing in red letters indicated more spots the man known as "X" found and one was where the Sanctum's headquarters in Eden was.

"Kairi…please. Let's just go, okay?" Naminé said, scared.

Kairi ignored her again and pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, simply playing around. After a few keystrokes, the monitor lit up with a nearly blinding flash and the image of a dark beast appeared. Kairi gasped, backing away from the monitor and falling to the floor. The image disappeared, leaving behind text that read _"'Pure Darkness…only tamed by Pure Light. Seek the darkness to find the Light…X.'"_

Kairi, shaking, got to her feet and Naminé said, "Let's…Let's just get out of here…Please…"

The redhaired girl agreed, getting out of the room and stumbling into another one. She didn't know how she got there, as the exit was supposed to go back out into the library. Kairi took a step forward and odd lights running along the ground lit up. The lights turned a corner and towards a metallic door.

Against Naminé's wishes, Kairi followed, feeling as if the lights were leading her. She stopped in front of the door and saw it open automatically. Entering the next room, it was more of a storage room than anything else, as there were barrels, chest of drawers and steel file cabinets in the room. A few small treasure chests were there as well, nestled in the corners. The windowless storage space seemed as if no one had visited the room in ages, as a layer of dust was on most of the furniture and cobwebs were everywhere.

"What is this place?" Kairi asked.

Naminé, fluttering up to her face, begged her to leave. Kairi insisted on staying, wondering why the campus had those hidden rooms. And she wanted to know who "X" was. Perhaps an old professor. Or maybe even an ambition student. Either way, Kairi wanted to know what the deal with them was.

"Please…I…I don't like it here…" Naminé begged.

"We'll be fine. You're being a big fraidy cat," Kairi said, opening one of the drawers and finding nothing but old papers.

"If I wasn't, then the Heartless would've gotten you long ago," the fairy _Anima_ told her.

Kairi rolled her eyes, finding Naminé's behavior odder than normal. Sure, that image she saw on the _machina _screen in the previous room scared her. But it was just a picture, nothing more.

Seeing that the redhaired girl refused to listen, Naminé fluttered towards a barrel. She sat on it, but her attention was diverted as she could sense something behind her. The _Anima_ saw a small chest that began glowing.

"Um, Kairi…?" she said.

Kairi went towards Naminé, seeing what the little _Anima_ saw. Floating little lights came from the brown chest that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Naminé looked to Kairi, asking, "What do you think it is?"

Kairi opened it, hoping nothing terrible was inside. But, it was a chest with sparks of light. So, how bad could it be, she thought?

Instead of a trap, explosion or even a random Heartless, it was a compass. Crystalline in material and glowing with an ethereal light, the compass was square-shaped and opened like a box. Its face looked like a typical compass, but instead of the directional symbols, there were images of the elements in their base forms. Three hands pointed in various directions and three dials were on the exterior, turning the hands. The four was the smallest and moved on its own, pointing to different images.

"What's this?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know, but please. Can we go now? Please…?" Naminé asked.

Kairi, finding the expedition scary but fruitful, agreed and thought to leave. When she did, white sparks came out of the device. Some hit Kairi's hands, but they didn't burn. The sparks then coalesced in the air, turning into a path that led her out. Following it, as she couldn't find her way out of the library maze, Kairi left the area with Naminé following behind.

* * *

_Two days later, with Sora, Riku, Ven and Roxas…_

"Two days…Two days!" Roxas shouted.

He was immediately shushed by his _Animus, _as they were on the outskirts of the Eternian Central Command. After going through many of the ice caves that led there and running into hordes of Heartless, the four boys saw the looming fortress that served as the nation's capital. According to Roxas, the college of Departure was nearby. But Sora and Ven were freezing, Riku was tired and Roxas was starving.

They only brought so much to eat and sleep in, as they were only supposed to find Departure and locate the Light there. And afterwards, they were to head for the northern coasts and escape with it with their families. Or so that was the plan.

"L-Let's find a-a…haven or s-s-something! Pretty sure t-that the old ones are s-still active!" Riku shouted as the cold wind started howling.

Roxas examined the landscape and saw one about a mile from their position. Cesare took flight, braving the cold winds to find the exact location. Paolo joined his twin _Animus, _the two flying towards the glowing runes of the haven in the midst of all the dark and white. The location and route in his mind's eye, Roxas took the lead, taking the group over snowy hills and a few crags towards the haven.

Once there, the four boys entered the rune-covered campsite and the cold air outside was banished, much to their relief. Heartless dared not enter the area either, making the place as safe as being in town. But, they could still hear the cries, mostly angry ones.

Satisfied, as he was warm and could actually eat something, Riku plopped down, putting out his sleeping mat and taking out a cup of dried noodles. Ven did the same and Sora put his bag down, puffing it up like he would a pillow. Roxas, forming a campfire, looked at Riku and asked, "Uh, you got hot water for that?"

Riku nodded, taking out a canister and his hand began glowing blue. The contents inside hissed, indicating that the water inside had turned hot. Glaring, Roxas muttered, "Show off."

Riku had always been good at using Fire Artes, thus his aversion to trekking around in the cold. But, there was something a bit dark about his power. No one questioned it, but Roxas knew that Sora and Ventus wasn't all that comfortable about seeing black and blue flames coming from Riku's hands during their fights against the Heartless.

Pouring the hot water into his cup, and then into Ven's, Riku and he began enjoying their dinner when Sora asked, "So, what'll happen if we can't it?"

"We'll find it, Sora. We have to," Ven told him.

"Yeah, but what if we can't?" Zeru repeated.

Roxas sighed, hoping that it wouldn't come to that. If they couldn't, then they would have to run, as Eternian forces would most likely come after them for being thieves. And if they were caught, then their families would abandon them for their safety and they would be imprisoned or worse.

"Let's just not think that, 'kay? We're gonna find it and then we'll get outta here. Out of the snow and cold," Roxas told Sora.

Sora shrugged and pulled out some dried fish. Roxas took out some jerky and munched on it as the group took a break.

* * *

_So, the boys are getting really close in their mission. But will they find the Light or something else entirely? And is Kairi's new compass a part of this? And who's 'X'? All these questions and more will be answered soon._

_And thanks to those that are reading this fic and giving it a chance as it goes through its revisions. It's greatly appreciated :)_

_-miano53_


	4. Chapter 4: Moving Gears

"_Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of Light. Everyone loved the Light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the Light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of Light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of Light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the True Light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the True Light will return.__"_

_-ancient nomadic folktale_

Chapter Four: Moving Gears

"_He…he did all this?" Yasuhiro asked._

_The silver-haired young man, along with his guardian, Miyuki, and the young Master Ava. They traveled to Zanarkand's ruins a month after the devastation, to assess the damage done by Master Ava's older brother, Chao. The Ronso tribe of Mount Gagazet, south of Zanarkand, had warned them of the danger, but the trio were more than enough in fighting against the Unversed that appeared. That and dark creatures with beady, yellow eyes that joined them in the fight. _

_The skies around Zanarkand were dark, even the moonlight couldn't get through. Many of the building looked to be still standing, but Yasuhiro figured that when they enter the city they would see the actual damage. The road to the ruins had been destroyed, mostly a dirt path now. Large chains and spikes ran throughout, piercing the ground, still standing buildings and any remaining roads. Fissures broke the ground, revealing purple-colored lava underneath. A mist hovered above the old canals, obscuring much of the water. _

_Master Ava led the charge, leading the trio down into the ruins. Yasuhiro's fears were realized as he saw that many of the buildings suffered much damage and some in the distance fell as they trekked towards the palace of Yu Yevon, the ruler of Zanarkand. After what felt like an eternity of fighting Unversed, their new allies and dodging the occasional falling debris, the trio arrived in front of the Zanarkand Palace._

_Unlike its prime, the dilapidated building was situated on an island, but much of it had sank into the lagoon around it. Red and black chains pierced much of the building and blood red spikes dotted the area, even protruding from some of the walls. The dark clouds were thickest over the palace and Master Ava whimpered, "I…I didn't think he would do such a thing…"_

"_There's gotta be a reason why. Like, I never got 'darkness vibes' from him whenever we hung out," Miyuki said._

_The masked Keyblade Master whimpered and Yasuhiro knew the teen was ready to cry. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Miyuki's right. He never displayed any dark tendencies or notions whenever he was around us, especially whenever he was around Lady Marina and Princess Leonora. If anything, he was rather protective of us."_

"_More like overbearing…" Miyuki sighed._

_It didn't help and the master said, "But, back home…Altair said he knew this day would come. And…Celina. She didn't defend him when Altair accused Chao of using darkness."_

_Yasuhiro didn't know what else he could say, as he remembered that Chao didn't talk much about his life back in his home country of Heim. Whenever someone brought up the subject, he would do his best to avoid answering, even changing topics. Those were the only times Yasuhiro could sense something…off about Chao, but he didn't want to pry or question it. But for all that to lead to this?_

'_Something's really, really wrong here. We're missing something. He wouldn't do any of this. Not without a reason,' the young silver-haired man thought._

* * *

_Menphina 5__th__, Eternian Central Command…_

Cid, sitting at a large circular meeting table with Jihl, waited as the Grand Marshal and his Council of Six was to enter. The room had various imagery, mostly propaganda against the rules of the Sanctum. One of them was of one of the older Grand Marshals, Grand Marshal Cor Leonis, defeating Primarch Tozus during Eternia's "Age of Enlightenment". That was when the Sanctum and its temples were shut down and its followers kicked out of the country. The cold stone room was unwelcoming to visitors and Cid wondered if they put them there on purpose. Most likely, he thought.

"What is taking them so long? We haven't been greeted yet or offered any refreshments," Jihl said, grumbling.

"You didn't eat?" Cid asked.

"No. Because breakfast wasn't conveniently offered in my room," Jihl said, miffed.

Cid was quite hungry himself, but they were going to be fine. Well, that was what he thought until the Grand Marshal finally entered. But there was no food or anyone else. His _Animus_ of a white lion sauntered in and Jihl glowered.

Her robin _Anima_ tilted her head and asked, "So, no food?"

Shouta, Cid's crow _Animus_, muttered, "No food…"

Grand Marshal Braev Lee sat down, his silver paladin armor hitting the chair with a metallic crunch and he asked, "So, the Sanctum sends you two? For what?"

"I thought your people would bring you up to speed," Jihl said, sounding impatient.

Cid prayed her manners would hold, lest they lose an ally in Braev Lee. The blonde paladin glared and said, "They did, about a source of the 'forbidden element' appearing in our lands. But, why did they send you? We do not need your help in this investigation."

Jihl opened her mouth to answer when Cid said, "The Primarch has an interest, as the nomads are encroaching to the north. And their teachings are…"

"Heretical to the Sanctum. But, we do not care for the Sanctum as much as you do, Cid. And the people seeing a group from there in those lands…Well, let's just say the professors and masters there will greatly question it," Braev told them.

"So? It's not like they have any authority to question you. You are the Grand Marshal, aren't you?" Jihl said.

"Yes, but we Grand Marshals do not use our power to dominate the masses, unlike your Primarchs. And the only reason nomads would get arrested here is for violating the agreement made 200 years ago. Their stepping on our territory without permission will result in arrests. So, I doubt they would do such a thing," Braev answered.

Jihl was getting even more miffed, looking ready to leap across the table and slap what she called "common sense" into the man. Cid kept praying, hoping that she wouldn't. The Grand Marshal, undaunted by what he sensed in the room, said, "We will continue the investigations alone. And we'll increase patrols…without your assistance. So, go back to Eden and tell your Primarch to stay out of Eternian affairs."

"We will do no such thing! We came all the way here to this freezing hellhole to find that source of Pure Light to prevent the end of the world! And you would shoo us away just like that?! No! No! No, I say!" Jihl shouted, her anger getting the better of her.

Cid sighed and said, "Jihl, calm down."

"I will NOT calm down! We've been stuck here for days and have been treated poorly by this so-called Grand Marshal! He didn't feed us or offered us proper amenities! And, now he tells us to go home! What is this…?!" Jihl yelled, tossing out various curses.

Cid slapped his forehead and groaned. They were definitely not going to the north to Departure College. How many apologies would he have to make, he thought? Maybe he could talk with Master Eraqus directly?

* * *

_Departure College, town gates…_

Sora, Riku, Ventus, Roxas and their _Animi_ stared at the imposing gates of the college. After another ten hours of running from Heartless, climbing up snowbanks and sliding down hills into an alpine forest that surrounded the campus, the four boys arrived. Sora was nearly in tears. Roxas looked ready to pass out. Ventus sighed in relief while Riku muttered, "Thank...the Lord…"

"We're finally here…" Sora said.

"And they probably got good food too…" Ventus added.

Roxas heard someone approaching and pushed his cohorts into the bushes, their _Animi _hiding with them. Hidden, they saw guards pass by and one said, "Huh. I thought I heard noises."

"Snow, you're probably hearing things," the other guard, a fuchsia-haired young woman told him.

Snow, a gruff looking youth wearing a black hat and white jacket, shrugged and said, "Liam, scout the area, 'kay?"

His owl _Animus_ nodded and Roxas muttered, "Crap…"

They walked off, with Liam high in the skies, patrolling. Roxas looked to the others and said, "Well, jumping over the wall's not a good idea."

"So, what now?" Ventus asked.

"Well, the walls' are about…50 feet high. So, you, Ven and Sora can jump them with ease. But, even if you were to jump over, the guards inside would catch you," Riku said.

"But you can jump about the same height, Riku," Sora said.

"Yeah, but not with a bit of difficulty. I'm still working on that, but…we need a distraction," Riku said.

Ven raised his hand and Roxas said, "Uh, no."

"Why not? I'm a great distractor!" Ven said.

"SHH!" the boys said, quieting him down.

Ven repeated himself, much quieter, and Roxas said, "Then what'll you do if you get caught?"

"Don't worry. I am ninja!" Ven cheered, posing as if he was a Wutai ninja.

Paolo joined him, raising his wings and saying, "Yeah! Ninja!"

Roxas muttered, "Ninjas are supposed to be quiet…"

* * *

_With Kairi…_

Kairi, in bed in her pink and black pajamas, stared at the compass she found in that hidden library. She was still checking it, as she knew it wasn't a normal compass. Most gave the direction on where you wanted to go. But this one, the face of it was odd.

It had eight symbols, each of the elements. Light was represented by a star and was at the "North" position. Dark was symbolized by black mist and was in the "South". Fire was a plume of flame and in the "West", while water was a raindrop and in the "East". Thunder was symbolized by a lightning bolt in the "Northeast" while ice was a snowflake in the "Southwest". Wind was a small tornado in the "Northwest" spot while earth was symbolized by a rocky mountain in the "Southeast".

The fourth, small blue needle kept going back to Wind, Earth and Light, repeatedly. The three other hands were haphazardly at the symbols for Dark, Fire and in between Wind and Light. Kairi hadn't a clue what it meant, but it may have been important to its last user…most likely the person called "X".

"Huh…Wonder if this is how that 'X' guy found those spots of darkness," Kairi asked.

Naminé, in hamster form, crawled onto her lap and shifted into cat form. The _Anima_ looked at it and said, "What makes you think that?"

"They said that they were looking for those sources of darkness…'Pure Darkness', they called it," Kairi said.

"So, you think that this 'X' guy used the compass to look for it? Huh…Kinda makes sense…" Naminé told her.

The door opened and Kairi swiftly put the compass underneath her pillow. It was Serah that entered and she asked, "Hey, everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine, Serah. Um…" Kairi said.

Serah gave a small smile, asking, "Well, Master Eraqus said that he wants to see you first thing in the morning. So, I'd rest up if I were you."

"Okay, I will. But Serah…" Kairi said.

The fuchsia-haired teen stared as Kairi asked, "Um, I always wondered why you, Lightning and Snow are always with me. I…I don't really remember a time where you three weren't around. Like, are you…? Do you think of me as a friend or just someone to protect?"

"Why this all of a sudden?" Serah asked.

Kairi fell silent and Serah told her, "At first, Master Eraqus assigned us to you and I didn't understand why. But after being with you and growing up together, I do now. So, I don't see you as a burden or as just someone to protect, but as a friend. A good friend that I'm willing to place my life on the line to keep safe."

"But why? I'm not special or anything. Sure, Naminé changes shape, but…that's not all that special," Kairi said.

Naminé huffed, feeling insulted. Serah shook her head, telling the girl, "You are and Master Eraqus will tell you more about it in the morning. So, good night."

"Good night," Kairi said as Serah shut the door.

Once gone, Naminé asked her, "Um, so…you really don't think…?"

"I'm just a normal person who has an _Anima_ that shapeshifts. I don't think that makes me anymore special than the next person," Kairi said.

She then tried to go to sleep, but…something bugged her. The compass under her pillow had started glowing with a strange light and she was so sure that it wasn't glowing before. Taking it, Kairi looked at it, only for a bright flash to blind her. The next thing she knew, she was in an oddly lit place that reminded her of that sphere screen she found.

Everything was covered in blues and blacks, like the color of electricity. Kairi herself was dressed in a black and pink-striped suit that looked like some form of _machina_, with a helmet and boots to match. It looked like…circuitry? What was that, Kairi thought?

Looking at her hands and finding them an unnatural light blue color, Kairi gasped and continued to examine herself. She was just in her bed five seconds ago and now she was trapped in some kind of…sphere screen. Or something that was like it. She knew it was _machina _based and she really wanted to go home.

"Hey! Leonora!"

A boy in red and black circuitry ran towards her, also helmeted like Kairi. She hadn't a clue who Leonora was, but the spikey-haired boy rushed at her, almost as if he was trying to push her out of…

"WHOA!" they screamed as a wheeled menace barreled where Kairi was standing.

It turned, tired screeching as it did, and the boy said, "Hey, Leonora! Where's your Keyblade?"

"A what? And my name's Kairi, not 'Leonora'," Kairi said.

The boy seemed to ignore her, summoning an oversized silver key with a golden handle. He charged forward, yelling, "Weird data…bug-thing! I'm not letting you hurt the Princess!"

Another flash of light and Kairi had returned to her room, still in bed the compass fallen on the floor. Naminé, shaken up, asked, "What was that? Where did you go?"

"I-I dunno. But…" Kairi stammered.

"OY! What are you doing here?"

Loud screams and yells were heard outside, along with the crashing of furniture and lamps. Kairi grabbed the compass and Naminé, diving underneath the bed to hide. Instead of the door, one of her bedroom windows opened, bringing in cold air and two intruders. One of them had a wolf for an _Animus_ while the other, Kairi couldn't tell.

The two spoke in an odd, but gruff language and she couldn't pick up on any of it. She kept quiet, listening as the intruders rummaged through her things. The wolf _Animus _sniffed around and Kairi's heart raced as it stayed where she was hidden. Within seconds, someone pulled her from underneath the bed and she screamed.

The two boys, one with silver hair and the other with brown, spikey hair, stared and said something that Kairi couldn't pick up. The silver haired one sighed and said something to the brown-haired boy. Almost sounding as if he was disappointed.

"Wh-Who are you guys? What are you doing here?" Kairi yelled.

"Kairi! Run!" Naminé shouted, flying towards the door.

With the compass, Kairi bolted, rushing out the door and into the halls.

* * *

"Why did she run?" Sora asked.

Riku, spotting the particles of light that came from the compass the redhaired girl held, said. "That's what Mom and everyone's looking for!"

"How can you tell?" Sora asked as they took chase.

"The particles of Light that came out of that compass. We need to get it and get out of here!" Riku said.

They kept their chase, seeing the damage Ven and Roxas caused with their ruckus. Most of the guards were chasing after them and furniture and windows were broken. Papers were scattered and some of the lights had been damaged as they were flickering. Riku wondered how they got to the fixtures so quickly, but his attention was turned to the girl.

She turned the corner and the boys nearly slid into the wall trying to catch up. Riku saw that the girl had shut the door at the end of the left hall. Just as they were about to follow, Roxas and his Animus rushed towards them, with Ven coming up from behind. They saw guards chasing after them and the four boys and _Animi_ nearly broke down the door the girl hid behind.

When they did, she screamed and a bright light was released. The Light was consuming and blinding, engulfing everything in its path. After several moments, it died and the Departure guards saw nothing but an empty office.

* * *

"Kairi? Kairi!" Snow yelled.

He and Lightning rushed into the crowded hallway, seeing that the guards had cornered the intruders. When they arrived, there was nothing there but the furniture of one of the master's offices. What were those nomads doing in Eternia, Lightning wondered?

"Hey, Light," Snow asked.

"What?" she said.

"Do you see anything missing?" Snow asked.

Lightning took a look and had her Anima do the same. Nothing was out of place, but the guards had reported that a bright light came from the room when they arrived. Just as the nomads went and broke down the door.

'So, what did they take?' Lightning thought.

"Lightning! Snow!"

Serah rushed towards them, flustered and said, "Kairi! She's…!"

Without a word, the trio went to her room, but didn't find Kairi.

* * *

_And there's chapter four. Once again, thanks to everyone that is still reading this fic. More chapters will be up soon. _

_And Braev Lee is a character from SquareEnix's game, Bravely Default. There, he's the Grand Marshal of Eternia that sought to end the Crystal Orthodoxy._


	5. Chapter 5: Mercenaries

"_But darkness did cover the world once, in legend. We know so little about the Keyblade War—only that it was just the beginning. Amidst that crisis a Precious Light was found. It is a curious tale—and one worth exploring. They say ruin brings about creation. So, what then, would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the Precious Light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers. The χ-blade needs to be forged, and with it, the Door to the Keyblade War unlocked!"_

_-writings from "X", Departure College_

Chapter Five: Mercenaries

"_Milady, the Pure Light has left the World of Light."_

"_And where is it now?"_

"_Um…we're still looking on it."_

"_Fools! Then why would you come and bother me with such little information?"_

"_I'm sorry! Jafar told me that you'd be interested!"_

* * *

_Twelve years ago, unknown lab…_

"_Sir? He's not trying to respond…" a scientist in white said._

_An older, bald man in black and white stared at the sphere screen in front of him, seeing the lone survivor of the experiments. The boy, only six years old with a wolf Animus, was surrounded by powerful Heartless, mostly NeoShadows, and the man spoke into a microphone. Sighing, he told him, "Use the power within, boy."_

"_N-No…I…I can't…" the child said._

"_The NeoShadows will destroy you if you don't!" the man shouted._

_The child, terrified as the Heartless closed in on him, screamed, "I can't!"_

"_You'd rather die than use your dark power? Feckless neophyte…" the bald man muttered._

"_Master Xehanort, I do not think it is a good idea to force the darkness out of him," the scientist in white told him._

"_But we must, Even. If not, then we will not have a catalyst to keep the world's balance in check. Do you remember the fountains of Pure Darkness?" Xehanort asked._

"_I do, but what does this have to do with the boy?" Even asked._

_A bloodcurdling scream and the two saw the boy swarmed by the Heartless. Just as the man was about to press a button on the console to dismiss them, red and black tendrils burst from the fallen child's back, impaling every NeoShadow. The Heartless squirmed as they tried to escape, but they were absorbed, and the tendrils retreated into the child._

_Even, disturbed, looked to Xehanort and asked, "Satisfied? The boy's a monster because of you."_

_Xehanort, originally disturbed, smirked and said, "Not yet. What other secrets does this darkness of his hold? I must know!"_

"_And this will help with the expansion?" Even asked._

_Xehanort refused to answer and went to typing on the massive keyboard before the sphere screen._

* * *

_Present day, Menphina 6__th__, Traverse Town, near Hauyn Haven, north central Saronia…_

A brunette, dressed in a pink dress and white fur coat and hat, walked through the snowy cobblestone streets of town, holding a basket of flowers she grew in a small cavern near her house. The flowers were for the local wizard, a man named Merlin, who wanted to use them for medicine. People in town had started falling ill from colds and those yellow flowers packed an immune-boosting punch, or so Merlin said.

As she walked, her _Anima,_ a little cardinal, sat on her shoulder, asking, "Aerith, what's taking them so long? They should've come back by now with the cave moss."

"I dunno. But Zack and Cloud will be fine, Prim," Aerith told her.

"But!" Prim, or Primrose, chirped.

"No, buts. They'll be fine and we need to get this to Merlin," Aerith said.

As she walked in the First District, Aerith could sense something was off. Looking up, she could sense something powerful far, far away. Primrose poked Aerith with her beak, asking, "Um…That doesn't feel like darkness…What is it?"

"I dunno. But let's get this to Merlin…" Aerith said.

Arriving at the gates to the Third District, Aerith saw the local militia, keeping the peace with rifles and their dog _Animi_. After telling them her business there, they let her through, telling her to take care with all the Heartless causing trouble. Stepping through and entering an area that was virtually empty, save for a lone house, a courtyard with a statue of two dogs eating spaghetti, various ancient _machina_ and a lone red door with a flame pattern on it, Aerith became defensive, summoning a staff in her right hand. She carefully trekked, hoping that Heartless or the occasional gang member wouldn't jump her. But, if she was careful, then there was nothing to worry about, right?

A spark from an exposed wire caused her to jump and Prim said, "Just a spark."

"Oh, whew…Um, let's keep going," Aerith said.

"Kinda jumpy today, aren't ya?"

Aerith jumped again, turning and seeing her old friend, Terra. The young man gave her a confused stare as he asked, "Why are you so jumpy? Nothing's here."

"Well, you never know. Heartless do come out here from time to time," Aerith said.

The dressed in Wutai-like fashions, a trait of_ Umi no Okami_ members, brunet asked, "Why are you worried about that? We've been taking care of the Heartless since coming here."

"I know, but they do appear every now and then. I just wanted to be vigilant," Aerith said.

She saw his _Animus_, a grey wolf named Gaius. He sat at Terra's side and said, "Then having Terra travel with you will help."

"Yep! Yep!" Primrose chirped.

Aerith sighed, saying, "Okay. Okay. You can 'escort' me."

"You make this sound like a mission…" Terra told her.

The pair and their _Animi_ headed for the Fire Door, to Merlin's abode.

* * *

"_Whoa! Is that…? Is that a…?" little Zack asked._

_Young Cloud, Tifa, Zack and Aerith, after leaving their "captors" in Port Mysidia, fled northwest as they had heard of a town that accepted children like them. Children that were orphans and "half-breeds", children of nomads and mainlanders shunned by the Sanctum and its peoples. Zack had the idea to leave and start his own "mercenary guild", where they would travel the globe and help the people that they'd meet. Whether if it was Heartless slaying, finding lost treasures or missing people, he wanted to help them out…unlike the SOLDIERs of St. Milo's Abbey that tried to "recruit" them._

_As the kids made their way through the fields, following a dirt path that had signs pointing to Traverse Town, they stumbled on something that was very odd. The creature looked like a Heartless, but Aerith noted that something was wrong, very wrong. She couldn't sense other Heartless nearby and the creature before them still had the light of a human. _

_The monster's skin was black as night, but marred with purple and silver vein-like markings. Its eyes were a solid yellow and teeth were sharp as daggers. Horns protruded from its head, like dragon horns. Claws were on its hands and feet and a tail swished back and forth. It was also quite tall, looking at least seven feet, compared to the tallest of the kids, Zack's four feet, two inches. _

_The beast roared, staggering aimlessly, and Zack whispered, "Okay, we're gonna have to find a way around that thing."_

"_But how?" Tifa asked._

"_Um, we're kinda small to fight that thing…" Cloud noted._

"_I can distract it," Zack said, sounding confident._

"_But what if it eats you? What then? We can't start that 'puilt' without you," Cloud said, mispronouncing "guild"._

_Aerith looked to face the creature, but found that it disappeared. She yelped, stammering with, "Uh…g-guys…Wh-Where did the monster go?"_

_A snarl and the four and Animi looked up. The monster had jumped to the trees, its fangs bared, and yellow eyes turned a burning red. Zack held up a wooden two-handed weapon, a zweihander in Cloud and Tifa's old language, and said, "Uh…Don't come any closer!"_

"_Yeah! Don't try anything or um…" Cloud added, holding a small pocket knife._

_Tifa, oddly, yelled, "Or the Holy Mother will put eggs in your stomach, and they'll hatch! I mean it!"_

_The beast dropped to the ground, landing on all fours, and gave a confused stare. Aerith looked at her and muttered, "Why would the Holy Mother do that?"_

"_I couldn't think of anything, okay!" Tifa yelled._

_A small grunt and the four saw the beast tilted its head, almost wondering who they were. It seemed to have calmed down as its eyes were back to standard yellow and it looked relaxed. Zack lowered his weapon, asking, "Um, you understand us?"_

_Another head tilt and Cloud said, "I don't think so…But, let's just go, okay? We can't fight it if it attacks…And I don't want Fenrir to disappear."_

"_I don't want Aya disappearing either," Tifa added._

"_Well, they'll only disappear if anything bad happens to us, so…" Zack said._

_Aerith gasped, seeing the monster had vanished for a second time. She couldn't sense it either and that was scarier than it being in front of them. Zack and the others noticed, with the boy yelling, "Let's get outta here!"_

"_Run away!" Elias shouted as the Animus bolted._

* * *

"Ah, there you are Aeris!" the old man in blue robes, Merlin, said with a grin.

Terra rolled his eyes, telling him, "Her name's 'Aerith', with a 'th'. We've been over this 300 times already! Seriously, are you sure you don't have Alzheimer's, old man?"

"I'm quite sure, youngling," Merlin said, glowering at the young man.

Terra shrugged and Aerith went to find a spot to put the flowers. The only problem was that the house was a mess. Well, it would be as Merlin was a hermit. Only those who knew Fire Artes could open the door that led to his home, so he had only a few visitors at a time. The old man served as the town's "wizard", as he was a master of various Artes and had great medicinal knowledge. The mayor and others in leadership valued his expertise but, like many, wondered why he lived in isolation most of the year.

Due to his scatterbrained personality, his home was quite messy, with pots and pans in places that they shouldn't in the one-bedroom home. Books were scattered, with very little on the shelves. Plants were in the corners and were overgrown and the center of the room had a table with four chairs, but only one was empty as the others had books and papers with various theses on them. Merlin, noticing, said, "Oh…I should've cleaned before you came here."

Pulling out what looked like a conductor's baton, he yelled, "Alright! Everyone back in your place! _Higitus figitus! Zumbabkazing!_"

Small sparks of light went everywhere, and the man's belongings began moving on their own. The books were back on the bookshelves. Plates, silverware and cups went back into the kitchen. Papers went into file cabinets along the walls and after a few moments, everything was clean…minus the overgrown plants Aerith wanted to prune for their health.

"Anyway, you found the flowers for me? Thank you! I'll take it from here," Merlin said, taking the basket

"So, what's the deal with the flowers?" Terra asked.

Merlin's _Animus_, an owl named Archimedes, sighed and said, "You just had to ask, Terra. You just had to ask…"

"Plants have such a wonderful biology to them. So many possibilities for medicine and energy. And, if one was on the dark side, they can provide poisons, neurotoxins and Heartless enhancing…" Merlin droned on.

Archimedes yelled, "AHEM! Don't give them ideas, Merlin!"

Aerith and Terra were disturbed and she said, "Um, we'll not do any of that Archimedes…Um…"

"Anyway, is that all you need for the medicine?" Terra asked.

"Well, I'm waiting on the others to return with the cave moss. Glowing cave moss is hard to find in these parts. And I dare not ask locals to look for it as the Heartless in the waterfall cave have been unusually strong lately," Merlin said.

"Then why did you send them on that errand?!" Archimedes yelled.

The door to the hermit's home opened and two young men, carrying sacks of glowing…something entered. One was blonde and the other was a raven-haired youth, both dressed in clothes that would suggest bounty hunters. Their armor was colored black, but trimmed with bits of fur that looked like something from the regions in the west. The rest of their attire looked similar to SOLDIER uniforms, something that Zack, the raven-haired youth, had made up as he still oddly idolized the group. Wolf dog _Animi_ followed the pair, with one's fur black as night and the other the color of hay.

"Hey, Merlin! Auron told us that you'll be needing this stuff. I dunno why, but…" Zack told the wizard.

Merlin, pleased, grabbed the two bags with ease, and the blonde, Cloud, muttered, "It was a pain getting them off the walls."

"So, that's why you two took so long?" Aerith asked.

"Wasn't that long," Zack told her.

"Zack insisted that we should scour every 'nook and cranny for treasure'. I didn't want to, but if I didn't go with, he'd probably still be in the cave…lost," Cloud explained.

"Hey! It's not my fault that people just happen to put their best stuff in random treasure boxes!" Zack argued.

"Oh, so getting someone's hand-me-downs is 'good treasure'?" Cloud said, not believing his friend.

Zack pouted, folding his arms and saying, "Can I have a little fun exploring…?"

Interrupting the spat, Merlin said, "Yes, this should be enough."

"Enough for what?" Terra asked.

"Medicine for the townsfolk. The cold this year's quite brutal and if not treated, people can die," Merlin said.

"So, sticky cave moss that seemed to stick to everything except the bag will help?" Cloud asked, looking miffed.

"Yes, along with these flowers," Merlin said.

Zack asked why and Archimedes yelled, "NO!"

Merlin's explanation was much longer than what he gave Aerith and Terra and the four thought it would never end. When Merlin's droning ended, he asked if anyone understood and Zack mistakenly said, "No."

The group's eyes widened as the old man re-explained himself.

* * *

"_Ah, so you're the newbies."_

_A scarred brunet and his cohort, a little girl of the Wutai, stared at Zack, Aerith, Cloud and Tifa. The little girl ran up to Tifa and muttered, "I don't like you."_

"_Uh…okay," Tifa said._

_The pair was oddly dressed, with the scarred one in black and white…mostly black and the Wutai girl in green and tan. The scarred boy had a lion cub for an Animus while the Wutai had a snow owl chick for hers. Their meeting in an old house in the 3__rd__ District that looked like it was read to fall apart was nothing short of tense. _

_Cloud and the scarred one glared at each other, looking like they were about to fight. The Wutai girl hid behind him and said, "Um, don't try anything, newbs! Or Auron's gonna get ya!"_

"_Who's Auron?" Aerith asked._

_The door opened and a man dressed in red samurai gear entered. His brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he had a serious expression on his face. His brown eyes scanned the newcomers and another wolf dog Animus appeared. His fur was a rusty red and he asked, "Auron, these are the ones?"_

"_That's what Merlin told me. So, I see that you've met Squall and Yuffie. And you four are?" the man, Auron, said._

"_I'm Zack. Seven-year-old Zackary Fair from Gongaga! And this here's Elias!" Zack said, chipper as usual._

_Auron gave a confused expression, saying, "Gongaga's off the coast of Fynn, on the southern continent. How did you get…?"_

"_SOLDIER. They rounded up all the 'half-breeds', telling our parents that we'll have better lives with the Sanctum," Tifa answered._

"_And you?" Auron asked._

"_Tifa Lockhart from Nibelheim. And this is Aya. I'm six and a half years old," Tifa replied._

"_I'm Aerith Gainsborough from Modeoheim and this is Primrose. I'm five going on six," Aerith said._

_Cloud was the last to reply, muttering, "I'm Cloud. Cloud Strife from Nibelheim…I'm six years old and that's Fenrir next to me."_

"_So, Nibelheim and Modeoheim. Those are towns on the western continent of Nifl. How did SOLDIER find you?" Auron asked._

_The Nifl trio shrugged and Zack asked, "Um, so you got a guild? Um, can we join?" _

"_No! NO WAY!" Squall and Yuffie yelled._

"_Why not? We only have three people and we need all the help we can get…according to Merlin," Auron said._

"_But we can take on Heartless no problem!" Yuffie shouted._

"_But you're only four and your father would kill me if anything happened to you," Auron said._

_Yuffie pouted and muttered, "Daddy's a butt…"_

* * *

_Fourth District, Guild Murasame…_

Within the hustle and bustle of the Fourth District lied the brick building that was home to the Murasame Guild, ran by "half-breed" Auron Saika. The three story building had apartments for their main guild members, a small restaurant and bar, an office for the guildmaster and a place for guild members to take jobs. Most came to the building for the bar, a place called Seventh Heaven and they came to see Tifa.

Tifa, about 20 years old, was dressed in all black and stood behind the counter. She, preparing food for customers, could see Yuffie, age 16, out of the corner of her eye. The "ninja" was busy passing out drinks and food and occasionally yelling at customers for being rude. She would get on her for being impolite to customers, but most of the drunkards deserved it.

"Yo! Another round of 'Cosmo Canyon!" someone yelled.

Tifa rolled her eyes and said, "I think you've had enough, Mr. Golbeza…"

The older man scoffed, telling her, "You younglings can't tell me when I had enough…I know when I had enough!"

"And your smell is telling us all you had enough."

"BAH! OH! Auron…" Mr. Golbeza said.

Auron had exited his office on the second floor, hearing all the noise. He, coming down the stairs, glared and said, "You've had enough. Go home to your wife."

"Oh, tha-thank you Auron…She's still happy that you got that medicine for Lucia…" the man said as Auron escorted him out.

Once the noise died down a bit, Tifa thought that the night would go more smoothly. She shouldn't have thought that as Terra, Zack and Cloud entered. The ever excitable Zack rushed to the counter and said, "Hey, Tifa…We need a favor…"

"If it's about giving you and Terra free drinks, you can forget it. Your tab's already too high," Tifa said.

"Aw…Not even for Cloud's birthday?" Zack asked.

Cloud's eyes widened and he said, "No, don't bring me into your mess!"

"And besides, it's nowhere near his birthday," Tifa added.

"But what about Terra's? Surely you could give the man a free drink and his best buddies too," Zack asked.

Tifa glowered and Terra said, "Well, none of us knows my actual birthday…So…"

The brunette remembered that the young man had amnesia ever since meeting him twelve years ago. The memories from before never resurfaced and all he knew was that he was a lost member of a _Lupo_ clan, the wolf _Animi_ having tribe that constantly moved from place to place. Auron tried to establish contact, using his sources, but nothing came from it. The young man was then raised by Auron, despite the hardships that came with it.

"Please, Tif? Please?" Zack asked, whining like a puppy.

Cloud shook his head and Terra said, "Y'know he's not gonna stop whining."

Zack's eyes widened like a pup's and Tifa relented, saying, "Alright! Alright! Okay! Stop looking at me like that!"

Tifa took a few bottles, a cannister and three shot glasses. The mixture she created was red in color and she said, "This here's my newest creation, the 'Marilith'."

"Why after a monster from Nifl fairy tales?" Cloud asked.

"Eh, just came to me one day…" Tifa said.

* * *

_Hours later…_

After helping Merlin create the new medications and delivering them to the sick in town, Aerith started for the Fourth District, only to feel that odd sensation again. It was as if her heart had been shot by an arrow and a sense of worry came to her. Looking up, a star grew brighter and fizzled out.

"Not again…" she muttered.

Stars had been fading from the skies lately and the sensation that came with it wasn't pleasant. Aerith could also hear the cries of people that immediately became Heartless snarls from the fallen stars. Hoping that it wasn't an omen, Aerith prayed, hoping someone would hear her.

"Let's go back to the guild. I'm sure that Auron would have some info about that," Primrose said.

"About why the stars are disappearing? I don't know about that," Aerith said.

She returned to the guild hall in the Fourth District, only to see patrons gathered around the stage Yuffie had installed for something called "karaoke". Bad singing followed from it and Aerith recognized the voices. With a sigh, she muttered, "Tifa gave in and gave them drinks…Well, I'll be 'Team No Sleep'…"

"Yep. Zack's singing gonna keep everyone up…" Primrose muttered.

She headed to the counter and Tifa sighed in disappointment. Yuffie and Cloud were also there, watching a drunk Zack singing and Terra playing, oddly with a guitar, on stage. The song he sang was odd and the patrons that were still present slammed their ears shut as the two youths sung and played horribly off-key.

"_Without you, I can't breathe! Without chu…I can't…BREA-EA-EATHE!" _Zack sung/screamed.

Terra started "rocking out" on the guitar, looking like he was a musical idol…but wearing samurai-ish clothing…The two looked silly and Aerith had a mind to tell them not to drink again. But, she doubt that they would listen.

"I told them…I told them they can't hold their liquor…" Cloud muttered, taking another sip of his cup.

Aerith could smell the alcohol off him and she knew he was tipsy. Glaring at Tifa, the brunette in pink asked, "What did you do?"

"What? They asked and Zack gave me the puppy eyes. The puppy eyes!" Tifa told her.

"She gave them one of her newest creations, the 'Marilith,'" Yuffie answered.

"What's in it?" Aerith asked.

"Oh…Um, it's a little bit of this and that…It was only a little bit in the cups…about a quarter of an inch. I didn't think they would get drunk so quickly," Tifa said, telling Aerith the recipe.

Most of the ingredients were alcoholic and she wondered how the trio didn't pass out from alcoholic poisoning. Sighing, Aerith said, "I'll get the tonic..."

"And I'll make sure they eat…" Tifa said.

* * *

_And there's the introduction to the rest of the cast. And apparently three of them are not good at holding alcohol…Anywho, review?_

_-miano53_


	6. Chapter 6: Traverse Town

_Thanks to a guest reviewer for their reviews on the last chapter. So, the Animi of most people have standard base forms, mainly based on heritage. For example, those who had wolf Animi from the time after the Keyblade War all came together and, through their lines, more people like Riku and Terra came about, becoming the nomads. The only one so far who has an Anima that shapeshifts is Kairi and that'll be explained why later._

_Also, Xehanort and the Sanctum's role in the plot will be explained soon. I'm just still doing so world building and not rush too much like the last several times._

_Anywho, here's the next chapter._

_-miano53_

* * *

"_Every Key…master is bequeathed a …blade of his very own. With the passing of time, as you can imagine, more and more…were forged to be handed down. But of all the K..b…s in existence, the 'No Name' is the most ancient. That is my destiny. But it has yet...to become a reality."_

_-redacted writings from X._

Chapter Six: Traverse Town

_Eleven years ago, Traverse Town, Guild Murasame…_

"_Aerith! Aerith-Aerith-Aerith!"_

_Young Aerith saw Zack, dressed in his mercenary armor, rushing towards her, looking flustered. When she asked, he answered with, "There's this kid out there! He looks like DEATH!"_

"_Uh, what?" Aerith asked._

"_C'mon, you just gotta come with me to believe it!" Zack yelled._

"_But why? Can't you bring the kid here?" Primrose asked for Aerith._

_Zack and Elias shook their heads and apparently it was that bad. So Aerith, against Primrose's constant yelling of "no", went with Zack from the Fourth District to the town gates in the First District. There, with the odd lighting of the shops and nearby restaurant, was a little boy, staring heavensward in a daze. Despite sensing something off with the boy, the pair drew closer and Aerith gasped as she saw he didn't have an Animus._

_The boy, a brunet with matted hair, had on white, tattered clothes, was barefoot and covered in scars and bruises. His skin was pale, nearly ghost white, and it made the bruises look even worse. The scarring was most around his left arm, which looked deformed and as if it had been ran through a meat grinder. The smell coming from him was terrible and it was as if he hadn't showered or taken a bath in ages. _

"_Aerith…?" Primrose chirped, worried._

_Zack looked at the boy and said, "Hey, I brought help. Aerith, she can help you. She got these special powers!"_

_The boy continued to look at the skies, which was dark as nighttime had rolled in. The stars above shined with light, but the boy didn't look at peace. If anything, he looked as if all the emotions of his heart had disappeared. Maybe, maybe he was a…_

"_Oh no! Um, he can't be…! He doesn't have an Animus and I can't sense one!" Primrose shouted, the cardinal Anima getting agitated._

_Aerith jumped as she noticed the boy was staring at her. But his eyes. They weren't normal, not by a longshot. Instead of brown, blue, green or even hazel, his eyes were yellow and glowing, like a Heartless'. _

_The girl hid behind Zack and asked, "Did you call Auron?"_

"_I sent Cloud and Tif to find him, but…we gotta do something about him before anything bad happens," Zack answered._

"_Au…Au…Auron…" _

_The boy continued his stare at the two, but said in whispers, "Auron…man in red…"_

"_Uh, yeah. You-You know him?" Zack asked._

"_Don't ask him that!" Primrose piped up._

_Darkness started spilling from the boy, which slowly changed his appearance. Black markings appeared underneath his eyes and lips, which made him look as if he was crying darkness. Zack held a hand onto his weapon, the Hardedge, and said, "Yo! What are you doing?"_

"_Man in red…man in red…man in…red…" the boy chanted as the darkness poured out onto the ground, forming a puddle around him._

"_Aerith! Do something!" Zack said as she and he, with their Animi, backed away._

_The girl looked around, seeing barriers form at the gates to the Fourth, Second and Third Districts. The doors to the shops were sealed as well, indicating the crystals protecting the townsfolk. Seeing that they most likely weren't getting help, Aerith said, "Um…I…"_

"_Hey! Little boy!" Primrose shouted, flying off Aerith's shoulder._

_Aerith called her back, but the cardinal Anima didn't listen. She fluttered around the boy, saying, "Why are you trying to attack? We didn't do anything! We want to help you, but you won't…!"_

_The boy smacked her with his left arm, sending Primrose flying backwards. She hit the ground and Aerith fainted, hitting the ground with a thud._

"_AERITH!"_

* * *

_Present day…_

"Wow…um…his room is trash…" Primrose muttered.

Aerith, after helping Terra back to his room, plopped him onto his bed, as the young man was had fallen drunk from the odd concoction Tifa made. He snored and Aerith said, "Well, hopefully he won't have a horrible hangover."

Terra's _Animus,_ Gaius, fell to the floor, the wolf _Animus_ dazed as Terra was quite tipsy. Aerith felt sorry for him and wondered how much of their ailments _Animi_ could feel. Since they were the other side of a human's heart, they probably felt everything that they would feel, whether it be happiness, sadness, illness or wellness. She wondered if anyone found anything else about the _Animi_, but she figured that such topics were forbidden.

Terra groaned and Aerith saw him turn over in bed, quickly sitting up and darkness coming out of his chest. It enveloped him, covering him in a dark aura and his eyes went from blue to glowing yellow. He snarled, his attention turning to Aerith. Gaius had disappeared, combining with the darkness Terra produced.

"Um, h-hey…I was just bringing you up here and…" Aerith started.

Terra looked around, almost as if he didn't recognize his own room. With a nervous smile, Aerith said, "I brought you back here because you were horrendously tipsy. So, um…"

He started to calm down, asking in a gravelly voice, _"Tip…sy?"_

"Yeah, you drunk something Tifa made and it made you and Zack pass out after that karaoke session," Aerith explained.

Terra looked away and Primrose muttered, "I don't think he understands you when he's like this…"

He snapped his attention to Aerith and said, _"I do. This…feeling…"_

"That's probably the alcohol…" Primrose muttered.

"_So, humans are susceptible to this…poisoning? And this one here…has an affinity for it?" _Terra, or whatever he became, questioned.

He held his head and Aerith remembered the times Terra…turned into that, some kind of Heartless hybrid. He still had his heart, but it was plunged into the depths of darkness within. Whenever he was like that, Terra became a different person and even didn't consider himself human. It was a pitiful sight, one that Aerith didn't like seeing. But, she kept it a secret from the others, as they thought the darkness had been purged. If they found out, then…

"_You're afraid…Why?" _"Terra" asked.

He stared at Aerith, who had jumped as she was lost in her thoughts. His yellow eyes were glowing and Aerith was sure that he was going to attack. He had done so before, when they were quite young. Terra gave a small smirk and said, _"If you're afraid that I will attack, don't. You're not that interesting…"_

"Uh, and that's supposed to make her feel better?" Primrose shouted.

Terra muttered something, something Aerith didn't catch as he had went back to speaking that old _Lupo _nomadic language. He shook his head and said in his normal voice, "Aerith? Aerith…what happened?"

His eyes were back to their normal blue and Aerith sighed in relief. She was certain that the darkness would attack, but…something held it back. Terra's heart?

Gaius returned from the shadows, the poor _Animus_ laying in the floor, looking quite pitiful. Terra shook his head again, asking, "I…I didn't…do anything to you, right?"

"No. You didn't. You didn't find me interesting," Aerith replied.

The young man was confused at first, but Aerith quickly told him, "I'm just happy that you didn't see me as a Heartless…like last time."

"I'm sorry," Terra apologized a second time.

His face was pale and Aerith said, "Um…I think you should get some sleep…"

Terra covered his mouth, rushing out to the bathroom. A slam of the door and the sound of retching confirmed that he had indeed gotten sick. Aerith sighed and said, "I knew drinking that stuff was going to be a bad idea…"

* * *

"_What? This guy's staying here?!" Yuffie bellowed._

_Auron looked at her, saying, "Did I stutter?"_

"_No, no you didn't…" Cloud answered._

_The kids looked at the newcomer, the boy that attacked Zack and Aerith in the 1__st__ District. He was quite dirty, dressed in tattered clothes and had a wolf Animus with matted brown and grey fur. The boy was in a daze and Squall asked, "So, you got a name?"_

_The brunet didn't respond and Auron said, "I doubt that he remembers. Not after what happened."_

"_Man in red…" the boy said._

"_Auron. That's my name," Auron told him._

_The boy stared at Auron and the kids could see tiny wisps of black coming from the brunet's body. His deformed left arm twitched for a few moments, only to stop when Tifa said, "So, I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. And my Anima's Aya."_

"_I'm Cloud Strife. And that wolf Animus' Fenrir," Cloud said._

"_Are we really doing this? Ms. Lucrecia's gonna flip that we let this kid in!" Yuffie whined._

_Squall was next, saying, "The name's Squall Lionheart. And that's Lowe there…"_

_Yuffie reluctantly introduced herself, saying, "I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, the 'White Rose of Wutai'! So, don't mess with me, hear?"_

"_And I'm Yukiko. Yuffie's just silly, Mister…?" Yuffie's snow owl Anima said, tilting her head and eyeing the brunet._

_He continued in silence and Fenrir asked Cloud, "So, he's just not gonna talk?"_

_Cloud shrugged and the brunet muttered, "T-Terah…."_

"_Terra? T-E-R-R-A?" Tifa asked._

_He shrugged and Auron said, "Welcome back, Terra."_

"_Huh? I went somewhere?" the boy asked, becoming more aware with each passing second._

"_Yeah…um…you kinda…" Tifa started._

_Auron interrupted them, saying, "Don't you all have something better to do?"_

"_Uh. Yeah!" Yuffie said, pulling Cloud and Tifa with her to see Merlin._

_Squall stared at Terra for a few minutes, giving him a disapproving glare. Auron dismissed him and said, "Welcome to Traverse Town. You gave everyone a scare earlier."_

"_Um, I did?" Terra asked._

"_Introduce yourself to Dr. Crescent when she gets back. Then we'll get you registered with the guild," Auron told him._

* * *

_Traverse Town, 1__st__ District…_

"_Sora? Sora? Sora! Wake up!"_

Sora felt something hit him square in the chest and saw that it was Zeru. The Hawk _Animus_ had a worried look, saying, "Thank goodness. I was sure that you were gonna keep sleeping."

"Ow, ya didn't have to hit me like that, y'know. I was gonna get up," Sora said.

He then noticed that they weren't in the castle at Departure College. Instead, they were…somewhere else. Some kind of town with bright lights. Lights so bright that Sora nearly was blinded looking up.

"Um, I didn't see Ven or the others. I think…we made it here…by ourselves…" Zeru explained.

Sora noticed they were in an alley, behind a house. Getting up, Sora gathered his bearings while Zeru flew off. Feeling a tug at his heart, Sora followed the hawk _Animus_. He then saw the town was filled with those bright lights, "neon lights" he remembered.

With a wry smile, the boy muttered, "Oh boy. We're a long way from home, aren't we, Zeru?"

* * *

_With Ventus, 2__nd__ District, waterlogged alleyway…_

"Um, Ven, it's kinda spooky here," Paolo muttered, the falcon _Animus_ perched on his shoulder.

Ven, filled with bravado, said, "I dunno why you are. I'm not scared."

He felt something tap his shoulder and he screamed. Turning around holding up Paolo like a shield, the blonde saw that his "attacker" was a young woman in pink. The fur-wearing, pink dressed brunette asked, "Um, hello. Did the King send you?"

"Uh, what? King? Um, no…I just found myself here…uh…" Ven said, calming down, but still holding Paolo like a shield.

"I'm Aerith. And this is…" the woman, Aerith, told him.

Her Anima, a small red cardinal bird, flew up in her face, yelling, "Aerith, why are you giving a stranger our…?"

"And this is Primrose. She's almost always suspicious of something," Aerith said.

"Well, I can't help it. It's not like Maleficent doesn't have agents everywhere," Primrose told her.

Ven immediately recognized the name of the woman who destroyed his and Roxas' family long ago. Thus, he asked, "You know Maleficent?"

"Yeah. Um…ally?" Aerith asked cautiously.

"No way! She killed my mom and dad and turned them into Heartless!" Ven shouted.

Paolo shushed him and Aerith said, "Well, he's not lying."

"How can you tell?" Paolo asked her.

"I can sense these things. Ven was sincere. So…" Aerith said.

Primrose protested, yelling, "No! No! NO! NO WAY! No more strays!"

"He's not like Terra, okay? I don't sense any darkness in him," Aerith said.

Her _Anima_ was still in protest, but Aerith ignored her, saying, "Come with me."

Ven did so, despite Paolo adding in his protestations.

* * *

_With Roxas, 4__th__ District…_

Roxas, waking up and find himself in what looked like a festive, but busy part of town, walked around and saw the townsfolk gearing up for some kind of festival. There were balloons of odd animals in the sky, strings of light zipping from rooftop to rooftop and large posters in the windows of shops depicting colorful creatures fighting off Heartless. Roxas recognized them from a series of games called Justice Monsters.

"Oh, that's Captain Bernie the Bomb, and Lady Marle the Marilith," Cesare noted, flying up to the poster.

"So, they know about Justice Monsters here?" Roxas asked.

"Well, yeah. It's only the most popular game series ever!"

Roxas jolted, finding a girl dressed in what looked like ninja attire. The green and tan dressed teen with a snow owl _Anima_ grinned and Roxas asked, "Who're you?"

"Who am _I_?" the girl said, sounding as if she was ready to make a speech.

"Yeah, Roxas just asked that," Cesare said, perching on Roxas' shoulder, looking annoyed.

The girl scoffed as her _Anima_ said, "This is Yuffie. I'm Yukiko."

Yuffie glared and Yukiko asked, "What? You were being overdramatic again."

"So? I'm a Wutai ninja! We have to show our pride in everything we do!" Yuffie declared.

Roxas eyed her with suspicion and exasperation, thinking that no one should have that much pride in anything. Pride goes before the fall, as everyone said. The boy shook his head, asking, "Where are we?"

"Um, you're in Traverse Town. Did you just get here or something?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah…But I've been separated from my brother and friends. So, if you could show me to the town gate or something…" Roxas said.

"Oh. He can come with us back to the guild! Dr. Crescent and Auron's always willing to help people," Yukiko told Yuffie.

Roxas didn't want to go anywhere except for the town's gate. But he couldn't protest as Yuffie grabbed his arm and dragged him to a tall building in the middle of the area.

* * *

"_The sky and dusk have arrived in the World in Between…The wind and land have been scattered, sent to worlds unknown…The Pure Light bounces from place to place, seeking out the other six…while darkness wakes, ready to consume the Pure Light."_

Aerith, after helping the boy Ventus to the guild, held her head, hearing a familiar voice. She recognized it as the Heart of the World and was worried about the message. "Sky" and "dusk", what were they? And the "wind" and "land"? Was it literal or representative?

Sitting at the bar counter in the guild, Aerith pondered what those words meant while Primrose and Tifa's chocolate-colored wolf dog _Anima_, Aya, stared at her in worry. Tifa, cleaning up for the dinner rush, asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh-Oh…Um, no-nothing," Aerith said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"You know you're not that great of a liar. So, what's wrong?" Tifa asked again.

Aerith explained how she had heard the Heart of the World and about the "sky", "dusk", "wind" and "land" being separated. That and something about "Pure Light". She had heard about it from her birth mother, Ifalna, but was told that it was forbidden to speak about it in many places. When she finished, Tifa said, "Well, I dunno about all that. But try not to talk about that out loud."

"I know. But, the message came after I saw stars disappear from the sky," Aerith said.

"Stars disappearing?"

The good doctor, Lucrecia Crescent, had arrived with her brown eagle _Anima _named Venus. The white coat-wearing doctor had returned from Merlin's and held a box full of items. She placed it on the counter and Tifa asked, "What's that for?"

"Merlin gave this to me, saying that it'll help with the townsfolk that have fallen ill. That and…he warned about dark forces coming this way," Lucrecia told them.

Aerith thought it was connected to the missing stars in the sky. Tifa looked at the box and asked, "Is it…her?"

"Most likely. The Heartless have been stirring of late. Which is terrible as most of the townsfolk are suffering from colds," Lucrecia said.

"Oh…Well, we're still here and healthy," Tifa said.

"And we need to keep it that way. Here. Take these once a day and make sure to eat your vegetables. Your immune systems need the strength," Lucrecia told them, handing them small bottles filled with tiny, candy-like pills.

Aerith shook the one she was given and wondered if they would work. Well, what's the harm, she thought?

"Uh, a lot if it's a mad experiment!" Primrose shouted.

"An experiment? If anything, if I was going to experiment on anyone, none of you would know it," Lucrecia told the little Anima.

"Well, that doesn't help my confidence in you at all," Primrose said.

"C'mon. The doctor's given us stuff like this before. So, I doubt that we'll get violently ill or poisoned or anything," Tifa said, with Aya nodding in agreement.

The cardinal _Anima_ flew behind Aerith's back and the brunette in pink said, "I'm sorry, Dr. Crescent."

"It's alright. _Animi _usually voice concerns in the back of our hearts," Lucrecia replied.

* * *

_And there's the next chapter. So, the boys have been separated from Kairi, thus failing their mission their parents had sent them out to do. _


	7. Chapter 7: Reunion

_Thanks again to the last two guest reviewers for their reviews. But to answer some questions, intercision isn't in this fic. But something far worse is. And you'll see soon what that is. And Anima are not the same as Daemons from His Dark Materials. They're more based on heritage than personality. Kairi and a few others will be the exception to that rule, but you'll see what I mean soon. :)_

_Anywho, here's chapter seven and hopefully we can find out where the others were blasted off to._

_-miano53_

* * *

"_Have you heard of the ancient Keyblade War? Long ago, Keyblade wielders waged a war over the ownership of light. I wonder what they planned on doing with Kingdom Hearts after... making it appear."_

_-unknown_

Chapter Seven: Reunion

"_W-Who are you…?" the little boy from Xehanort's experiments asked, looking at someone peeking through his cell door._

_The man's head was wrapped up in red bandages, leaving a single amber eye and his mouth exposed. His clothes were thick robes of red, black and brown and looked as if he had stumbled out of a fairy tale as he looked like a wizard to the child. With a straight face, the man said, "Call me DiZ. It's as good a name as any. I've been watching you all along."_

"_Huh?" the child asked, holding onto his wolf pup Animus. _

"_I can be nobody or anybody. It is up to you to believe in me or not," the man, DiZ, told him._

_The boy still didn't get it, but if he was there to help him escape…_

"_Um…" he started._

_DiZ looked around and muttered, "What is that man thinking…?"_

"_C-Can you help me get out of here?" the boy asked._

"_Yes, but first, I must know. After escaping from this place, will you take the road to light or the road to darkness?" DiZ asked._

"_What do you mean?" the boy questioned, tilting his head._

"_Your actions will determine your fate, whether or not you use your newfound power for the forces of darkness or for safeguarding the Light. I must know. Which will you choose before I open this door that prevents the use of said power?" DiZ asked._

_The boy didn't get what he meant. But that "power" of his, he really hated it. He never wanted it in the first place and wished it gone. Especially since he would pass out and wake up to find the horrors he committed. Xehanort and the others were pleased, but…_

"_I…I don't like my powers. I just…I just want to be normal. So, please. Help me, okay? Help me get out of here," the boy said._

"_Not a sufficient answer…but, I will do as you requested. But, once you step foot outside, you will be on your own. If nothing else, seek out the survivor of the Saika clan and a doctor who fled from the Sanctum in the World in Between. They will help you find the proper path," DiZ told him._

_He opened the door and once he did, the boy passed out, as expected. Just as he did, a vicious roar filled the air and he could hear DiZ say, "Eleven Pure Darknesses left…Xehanort, what did you do?"_

* * *

_Present day, Menphina 8__th__, Hauyn Haven…_

"Seriously, where's Sora, Roxas and Ven?" Riku asked.

He wound up in the middle of open, snowy plains, miles from any town or landmarks and was hopelessly lost. The silver-haired one remembered finding the redhaired girl with that compass that produced the Pure Light, the same Light their parents were looking for. The only problem was that the girl didn't give them the device and it immediately teleported them somewhere in a flash of light.

When Riku came to a few days ago, he found himself in those plains and didn't recognize it at all. The scent of the air was different, nothing like the few places he had been to before. That and it was awfully cold. Not like Eternia's cold, but close enough.

Not wanting to freeze to death or get caught by Heartless, whichever came first, Riku and Kiba began their trek through the snows, trying to find some place for shelter. He remembered his mother, Lady Chiyo, telling him if he ever was separated from the pack and was all alone, find floating wisps of light in the air. They would lead to havens and would provide safety and rest.

He did, finding Hauyn Haven. Thanking the Lord of Light and the _Lucii _clan, as they helped establish havens around the Worlds, Riku took a rest there. The first night, he found that the haven was quite warm and comfortable, and it protected him from roaming Heartless at night. The second night, he went hunting with Kiba and found a few wild rabbits and frozen berries. The third rolled around and Riku wanted to find his friends.

"So, this isn't Eternia, since I can't really see any mountains. Just ice, snow and Heartless," Kiba mentioned.

"And I can't catch any scents…So, roaming around at night for a town isn't a good idea," Riku said.

He sat back down, pondering what to do next. The sun had went down and he saw how vicious the Heartless were at night. They were much worse than what he was told and the teen figured that wooden weapons were useless against them. The ones in Eternia, which were a few Shadows and Soldiers, were phased a bit, but the four of them ran from most battles before finding the redhaired girl.

Looking at the fire in the center of the haven, and the source of the Pure Light wisps that led him there, Riku wondered how long he could stay there. It wasn't a good idea to stay in one place, especially as he was a nomad. Nomads weren't always treated kindly by people and moving was a constant. And then the Sanctum, if they found him, then…

"They'll probably kill us. So, we have to find a refuge or something," Kiba said.

Riku agreed, but leaving at night wasn't much of an option. He didn't have a weapon against the stronger Heartless outside and he was alone. If he went down, Kiba disappears and he would turn into a Heartless, a fate worse than death.

A snarl cut him from his thoughts and Kiba quickly went into a defensive posture. He looked around for the source and Riku could feel something was watching him. Seconds later, he jumped up, seeing a black wolf with red eyes staring at them inches from the hilltop haven's boundary. The dark aura from it indicated that it was an _Animus_, but something was wrong, very wrong. Animi always had auras of different colored lights, but this one…The aura around it was of black and red wisps, like the aura of darkness. And its scent…it was terrible.

"The scent of darkness…Hey! Go away!" Kiba shouted.

Riku readied his wooden weapon, wondering if it would help. But he figured that it wouldn't, but he wouldn't show his apparent foe that. The corrupted wolf Animus took a step into the haven, but immediately yelped as something zapped its foot. It backed away, snarled again and ran off.

"Whoo…Thanks heavens…" Kiba said, sighing in relief.

Riku lowered his weapon, thankful that the haven's power kept the corrupted one at bay. But he immediately became defensive again, hearing footsteps.

"Oh, hey! Cloud, we got somebody here!"

The silver-haired boy kept his guard up, seeing two wolf _Animi_ barrel into the haven. Kiba snarled, standing in front of Riku in a protective manner and one of them said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're not here to fight. Just smelled a new scent and found that a kid with a wolf _Animus_ is hiding out here. Lost?"

"N-No," Riku lied, not wanting to admit it.

The black wolf's, or what looked to be a wolf _Animus_, tail wagged and he said, "I'm Elias. And this is Fenrir."

Fenrir, a light-colored wolf dog _Animus_, as Riku looked more carefully and found them smaller than usual, muttered, "'Sup."

"Yo! Who'd ya find?"

A raven-haired man and his blonde-haired cohort found them and Riku noticed they were wearing armor that looked like it came from Niflheim. Maybe they were half breeds from there, Riku thought?

"Zack! He's a full breed! Look at his _Animus_!" Elias said to the raven-haired warrior, Zack.

"Oh. Well, would ya look at that?" Zack said.

The other, apparently named Cloud as Fenrir had said his name, told Zack, "C'mon. We gotta go before he finds us. You know he doesn't recognize us when he's like that."

"I know, but I can't smell him anywhere here…Gaius, yeah. But not Terra," Zack responded.

"You know that they're the same, right? Where one goes, the other follows," Cloud grumbled.

Zack seemed to get it and his face paled. With a nervous laugh, he said, "Um, okay. Let's get back to town as fast as we can…So, uh, haul it!"

Without a second thought, Riku followed them, thinking the town would be much safer than staying at a haven for the rest of his days.

* * *

_With Sora, Roxas and Ventus, Guild Murasame…_

"So, you didn't find Riku?" Sora asked.

Ven shook his head and Roxas said, "Well, wherever he is, he'll be fine. He's the most levelheaded out of all of us."

"Yeah, but I still can't help but worry. And that girl. Whatever happened to her?" Ven said.

The boys, sitting at a table, discussed what had happened over the past few days over sandwiches and drinks. The bar's owner, Tifa Lockhart, had insisted that they eat as she knew they were nomads and even shut down the bar for a few days as the boys got their bearings. Their main business, Heartless hunting, was unaffected and they met the guild's owners, Auron Saika and Dr. Lucrecia Crescent.

The trio were amazed to see half-breeds and mainlanders working together, as Auron had a wolf dog for an _Animus_ and Dr. Crescent had a brown eagle _Anima_. They had helped other half breeds in the area find work, usually as Heartless hunters. The main group included Tifa Lockhart, bar owner and pugilist, and Aerith Gainsborough, florist and White Mage. Then there was Zackary Fair, main hunter number one, Cloud Strife, delivery man and main hunter number two, Squall Leonhart, main hunter number three. Lastly, there was Yuffie Kisaragi, waitress and ninja of the nomadic Wutai, Cid Highwind, expert pilot, shopkeeper and former Dragoon for the Sanctum and lastly, Terra Aiolfi, main hunter number four and foster son to Auron.

So far, they had only met Tifa, Aerith, Auron, Yuffie and Dr. Crescent. But the other hunters they hadn't met due to them taking up multiple jobs at a time and making deliveries. That and Cid still had a shop to run, so he didn't visit the guild when the boys had arrived.

Tifa slammed another platter of sandwiches and Roxas asked, "So, what's the deal with the food?"

"Yeah, I'm getting full," Ven added.

"Me too," Sora said.

Tifa started with, "Well, despite my being a brawler, I enjoy cooking for others and I'm hoping to open up a restaurant. And…if I could open them in other places…then...I could beat that Ignis Scientia guy from the _Lucii_."

"Wait, you know them?" Roxas asked.

"Most half-breeds and abandoned nomads know them. They're famous for creating the havens you see around the Worlds."

Aerith had rejoined them, shutting the door to the guild hall and coming in with a box of flowers. Primrose bolted off towards the table where the boys sat and Aerith placed the box on top. Ven, nosy, peeked into it and asked, "What's all this for?"

"For medicine when Dr. Crescent gets back. And decoration. But, since you guys are eating, I guess I'm going to have to decorate all these tables by myself…" Aerith said, hoping to make them guilty.

It worked as Ventus immediately said, "I'll help!"

"Me too!" Sora added.

Roxas rolled his eyes, muttering, "She just guilt tripped you guys into helping."

"So? Tifa's offering food and Miss Aerith needs help. So, we gotta do something and not look like freeloaders," Ven said.

Roxas sighed and the door to the guild hall opened. Two hunters in what looked like old Niflheim "Viking" armor entered, along with a familiar face. Sora spat out his drink while Ventus nearly choked on his sandwich. Paolo, Cesare and Zeru flew towards him and yelled, "Riku! Kiba!"

Kiba's tail wagged and he said, "Hey guys."

A tired Riku joined the others at the table, sitting next to Ventus and Sora. Tifa handed him a cup of tea and a sandwich, to which he thanked her. She then noticed his wolf _Animus_ and said, "So, you're a full breed?"

Riku gave a slight nod, to which Roxas was surprised that he understood her. In fact, he was surprised that the group knew their languages as none of them spoke Universal, the language adopted by most of the Worlds. Something he should've questioned as Ventus, Riku, Sora and he spoke the nomads' languages of Eblanese, language of the _Umi no Okami_ and _Taka_, Lufenian, language of Ventus and Roxas' tribe of the _Lufaine _Falcon clans_,_ and a mixture of the two. Due to their being adopted by Sora's mother, the twins quickly learned Eblanese and nothing else, only speaking Lufenian to each other in private.

"Hey Zack, Cloud," Aerith said, smiling.

"Yo!" Zack said, raising a hand.

Cloud looked uninterested and instead turned his gaze to the four newcomers. Roxas wasn't comfortable as he couldn't catch what Cloud had said. All he heard was him mutter, _"Keitä he ovat?"_

Tifa turned to him and replied with, _"Tuo on Roxas, Ventus ja Sora._ _Paimentolaiset."_

Cloud looked to the boys and said, "So, you're full breeds too, huh?"

"Wait, you can speak our language?" Ven asked.

'You're just catching on?' Roxas thought.

"Yeah. Auron taught us and each of us got our own dialects. Cloud and Tifa here speaks Nifl while I can speak four languages, Gongagan, Fynnish, Universal and Wutai," Zack answered, grinning.

"Wait, how did you learn that? I thought the Wutai were…" Riku started.

"_Kanojo wa mottomo kurai yoru o tabi shimasu…Kiri-dai no shiroi bara…_"

A snow owl _Anima_ came down from the second floor, along with the human, Yuffie Kisaragi. The girl landed ungracefully on top of the table, stepping on the platter of sandwiches and making Tifa fume with anger. She was smiling ear to ear and said, "So, who're you? Don't look like someone that would know about us…"

"Uh, Yuffie…You're on the customers' table…again…" Aerith told her.

The girl ignored her and stared intently at Riku. She looked him up and down, muttering, "Sure don't look like it…Silver hair…greenish eyes…"

"Turquoise," Riku replied.

"And Riku's from the _Umi no Okami_," Sora told her.

Riku looked horrified that Sora would divulge that information, but Yuffie said, "Oh! So, you're a Sea Wolf nomad…I'm gonna keep my eye on you. So, don't try any funny stuff, wolf boy."

"Yeah, like I would…" Riku said sarcastically.

* * *

_Traverse Town, 2__nd__ District…_

Finishing up his patrols, a tall brunet wearing all-black with white fur lining his jacket made his way through the 2nd District. The place was empty, as it was in the dead of night and people didn't really like being in the first of the town's two courtyards at night. If anything, they preferred the more well-lit 1st and 4th Districts. He was armed with an odd weapon, one that was a combination of a sword and a revolver, a "gunblade". Next to him was a lion _Animus _with tanned fur and a dark mane.

The lion _Animus _shuddered and asked, "Squall, are you sure that he's here?"

"For the last time, Lowe, yes. He's here…somewhere. And if he enters any of the other districts like that, then we'll have a time on our hands," the youth, Squall, told him.

Lowe wanted to leave as a stifling feeling lingered in the air. As if someone was trying to suffocate him with a bag. Squall ignored the feeling, knowing that stopping Gaius from hurting anyone was best. And if Gaius was like that…then Terra…

"There he is!" Lowe roared, seeing the black miasma-covered wolf _Animus._

The wolf _Animus _saw them and took off, heading towards the House of Dalmatia. The owners, Roger and Anita Dearly, had Dalmatian dogs for _Animi_ and they ended up adopting a group of wayward, actual Dalmatian pups. A few years ago, the guild had busted up the House of DeVil in the 4th District as the owner, Cruella, had tried to take said Dalmatians for a coat, as domesticated dogs that weren't _Animi_ were quite rare.

The house had seen its share of troubles and having a darkness-controlled Gaius wasn't a good thing. Not by a long shot. So, Squall and Lowe followed, seeing the wolf _Animus_ pawing at the door. It was covered by a barrier, so the darkness couldn't get in.

Squall fired off a fireball, using Fire Artes, and the wolf _Animus_ disappeared upon impact. Lowe rushed forward, looking for Gaius, but nothing. Not even a scent.

"Where did he go?" he asked.

Squall looked around, trying to find clues, but nothing. He went to the door of the house and called out Roger and Anita's names. Anita answered, peeking from the 1st floor window and asking, "What is it?"

"You guys okay?" Squall asked.

"Yes. That shadow wolf tried to get it and I activated the crystals. But it tried so badly to get in. What is going on, Squall?" Anita said.

"I dunno. But, we're gonna find out. Don't worry," Squall told her, lying.

Lowe warned her to keep the barrier up as Squall went to look for the shadow wolf. But he dared not tell her about Gaius. If she or others found out about the _Animus'_ condition, trust in their guild would evaporate and it was already hard getting the townsfolk to trust a group of half-breed, abandoned nomads.

The hairs on the back of his neck standing on end alerted Squall to something watching him from above. A shadow figure with fire red eyes stared at him from the rooftops and Squall leapt into the air, landing on a nearby roof. The figure took off, jumping from roof to roof and Squall did the same, giving chase. On the streets below, Lowe found the shadowy figure of Gaius, who was running towards the alleyway.

Once in the alley, Squall saw the figure landing in the water, sending a cascade of it on the pathways below. He landed on his feet, like a feline, and rushed towards the shadow figure with his gunblade. Just as he was about to cut the darkness in two, the figure swiftly turned, revealing a shadowy Terra with darker hair, pale skin and fire red eyes. The clothes he wore were stained black and grey and he looked like a completely different person.

The shadowy Gaius appeared as his side and the shadow asked, _"Why are you chasing me, Squall?"_

"You know why. I can't let you run around like this and hurt someone again," Squall replied, his gunblade locked with the odd black and red key-shaped sword.

Shadow Terra scoffed, and a blast of energy pushed Squall back. He then told him, _"You know I wasn't going to hurt anyone. You've proven that you humans aren't fond of that ten years ago."_

'And he's referring to himself as something else…So, we're really not gonna get him some help, Auron?' Squall thought.

"Then what were you doing here…like that?" Lowe asked.

Shadow Terra looked in the direction of the 1st District, asking, _"That boy. He's a Sea Wolf, isn't he?"_

Lowe looked to Squall, who was quite confused. He didn't meet anyone like that and the ones who would know were Tifa, Yuffie and Aerith. Shadow Terra then added, _"I saw him during the hunt. He was in Hauyn Haven for days…"_

"You're wondering if he's okay?" Lowe asked.

The shadow said nothing and Squall told him, "Just…get yourself back to normal. If that means going back out there and eating Heartless 'til morning, then so be it. Just…don't come back here until you're normal."

"_Or else Auron will have my head?" _Shadow Terra asked.

"Obviously," Squall answered.

The shadow grinned, showing sharpened canines and the sight unnerved Squall. He then took a step back and disappeared, darkness surrounding the figure and consuming it. The scarred youth released a sigh, relieved that Terra didn't attack while in that state. He had done so before…hurting Aerith and he didn't want a repeat of that.

* * *

_So, Terra has shadow powers he has barely any control over and the boys have been reunited. But, where's Kairi? She does have that compass that teleported everyone to Traverse Town. Find out in the next chapter!_

_Anywho, leave a review why don't ya?_


	8. Chapter 8: Awakened Power

_To answer a guest reviewer's question, yes, intercision isn't a thing in this. But what is will be answered very soon as clues are scattered throughout the chapters. A lot will be in this one, so be on the lookout._

_-miano53_

* * *

"_Those who are weak, and desire greater power, simply strip the strong of their power, and convince themselves they've earned it. That's how people become tainted by darkness. They believe what they want to believe, using hollow reasons as justification. They repeat this cycle, and their darkness grows."_

_-unknown_

Chapter Eight: Awakened Power

_DiZ watched as the child turned monster roamed the countryside of western Saronia. It was the only place safe enough to let the lone survivor of Xehanort's experiments loose. The monster snarled and snapped at everything, even attacking roaming Heartless and wild animals. With every step it took, grasses and trees withered and died as the darkness slithered about._

"_Are you sure this was a good idea?"_

_The white lynx Animus of the man appeared, standing next to him as they watched the scene unfold on top of the waterfall cave. The monster belched purple and black flames, reminiscent of Dark Firaga. It went wild with it, setting fire to much of the plains. It was like watching a dragon on a rampage and DiZ knew it was dangerous to leave him like that. _

_But…as a servant of the Worlds, he couldn't interfere. He had already done so by releasing the child and escaping to the World in Between. He thought the place was best suited for him as it was in between the realms of light and dark. But, he seemed to draw greatly on the dark as DiZ could barely sense light within him._

_Maybe it was a result of the experiments or maybe the Pure Darkness placed inside of him…All DiZ knew was that the monster had to calm down or else…_

"_Who's that?" DiZ Animus, Martel, asked, seeing a samurai in red rushing towards the beast._

_He blocked the katana swing with its tail and spun rapidly, hitting the Sanctum's samurai five times. But the man was unfazed, performing a jump strike and a horizontal swipe. The monster blocked with its arms, pushing the samurai back and belching dark flames at him. The samurai jumped again in the air, slicing the creature in the back. _

_He stumbled forward, the darkness billowing from him, and collapsed seconds later. The fires set by the monster died, turning into small embers. More of the darkness dissipated and the creature disappeared. The samurai seemed confused, but was on guard as he ventured back to where he came from._

_The only place DiZ could think of was Traverse Town and wondered if the samurai was returning there. If that was the case, then the child should head there posthaste after recovering._

* * *

_Menphina 8__th__, circus tent…_

Standing on a stage, surrounded by a crowd, was a young woman with long, blue hair, wearing a black leotard, head covering and veil. The crowd from Port Mila cheered as the last act, a high-wire one, had just finished. They had varied _Animi_, but they managed to segregate themselves with those with dog _Animi_ at the north end, those with feline _Animi_ in the south, avian _Animi_ was in the east while insect _Animi_ was at the west. They absolutely refused to sit with anyone that wasn't like their kind and the young woman blamed the Primarch for not tackling the issue of differing _Animi_. But, she expected that after running away from home, so her shock wasn't that much.

A bit nervous, as her act was a dance number filled with Arte-infused imagery, she muttered, "Okay, Aqua. You can do this. You did this hundreds of times back home."

The crowd quieted down as the spotlights were put on her. With a stomp of her foot, the light around her turned the circus tent into a throne room and the tribal-like music began playing. She twirled around, water surrounding her and becoming large waves. The crowd oohed and aahed as they watched, seeing the mesmerizing sight.

A few jumps and leaps caused for the water to dance and it seemed to follow the beat of the music. Aqua paid no attention and focused on finishing the dance. Another leap, followed by a stomp turned the water into ice and then into snow, which gently settled onto the crowd. Done, Aqua looked up and saw the crowd cheering and tossing munny at her. It would've been hers if the other workers didn't swiftly take the munny she made and put it in buckets for the ringleader.

"_Maybe we should leave."_

The thought came from her cat _Anima_, Amalia, who sat ringside near the others with feline _Animi_. She looked disappointed as Aqua hadn't made much munny since joining two years ago, mostly out of necessity. But, there was nowhere for her to go if she left…

"_Think about it later. The next act's coming up."_

Aqua hopped off the stage, the illusion fizzling out as she left.

* * *

"_Awaken…One of Seven…Awaken…"_

_Kairi felt herself falling, waking up and seeing her tumbling in an abyss. She didn't know how she got there, but Naminé was nowhere to be found as well as the nomadic boys that tried to kidnap her. But the compass she obtained before getting zapped into nothingness was still in her hands and gave off a brilliant glow. _

"_Events of the past are repeating…In this never-ending cycle of Light and Dark…"_

_A bright light in front of her and Kairi found what seemed to be a giant, stained glass window of herself…sleeping. Her image was lounging in a chair set in a twilight-covered library. It looked like the one at Departure College, but she couldn't view much more of it as the girl was suddenly dropped out of the sky._

_Landing on her backside, Kairi groaned and asked, "Ow. What was that for?"_

_The voice didn't answer and, instead, stone pillars with various images surrounded the glass platform…or tower; Kairi didn't know. The images she saw were memories of her time at Departure College with Snow, Lightning, Serah and Master Eraqus. But others…she didn't recognize at all. Especially the ones where it was her, dressed in black and bits of pink, talking with what looked like a young man with spikey brown hair. The images suggested that they were close, but Kairi had never had such an encounter. There was that boy with spikey hair in the group that tried to take her, but…_

"_History repeats, lives are reborn and wasted…all for the endless cycle…"_

_The pillars crumbled and the platform shattered, sending the girl tumbling again. She landed again on another, but it was of the spikey haired brunet. He was in white and red, his nomadic garb, and was sleeping as well. The stone pillars returned and Kairi could see his memories, as well as those she was certain didn't belong to him as she never met the boy until the day they came to take her._

_A step forward at the memory of their meeting caused a stained glass platform to appear, leading up to another tower. She followed it and saw the silver-haired boy with the turquoise eyes. Pillars with his appeared and there were images of the brunet, Kairi and he, chatting underneath what looked like a tree with star-shaped. They had never met until that moments, so how…?_

"_Mistakes can be remedied…as hearts can be given new life…The bodies they inhabit…change for each cycle…"_

"_What are you talking about, Mister or…Miss Voice…? I don't understand what's going…" Kairi said._

_The compass flew out of her hands and another connecting platform was created, reaching two pillars in the distance. There, Kairi saw the pillars with images of the boys, seemingly twins. But other pillars had them seem to be cousins and even…clones? What was she seeing?_

_The last tower was that of an azure-haired young woman whose image slept on a raft in tumultuous waves. The pillars of memory had suggested that Kairi and she met long ago in a castle town. The only castle town she knew was that of Departure and was certain that her mother hadn't taken her there._

"_Awaken their hearts…May the cycle begin anew."_

"_What cycle? Why?" Kairi asked._

_Heat came from her hands and Kairi looked at them, seeing them glowing with a bright light. It started to burn and she cried as the light radiated through her veins. Without thinking, as the searing light went through her, the girl held out her hands and a key-like sword appeared. The weapon gave off a glorious light, blinding Kairi and shooting off threads of light that struck the hearts of the stained glass images. _

_The glass of the towers shattered and the stones crumbled. Everything fell into the abyss and Kairi passed out from pain…_

* * *

_Menphina 9__th__, Port Mila…_

"Are you sure you want to go north? I thought you were on the run," the ringleader, a man named Jin, asked.

She looked at the oddly muscular spikey-haired, half-breed, who looked like he stumbled out of a manga as he wore a jacket with black and red flames emblazoned on it and hakama pants with the same pattern. Rolling her eyes as she eyed the ship that would take her back to Port Mysidia, Aqua said, "I'll take my chances."

"B-But…We had a good thing going," he said, trying to stop her from going on the ship.

"No, you and your grandpa, Heihachi, had a good thing going. Now, I'm heading north and I'll be careful in not getting caught," Aqua told him.

Jin didn't believe her and muttered, "Probably heard rumors about a wedding…"

"Ah! No! I…Grr…" Aqua yelped, getting flustered as she never heard such rumors.

She didn't mind Jin's presence, but apparently rumors of him liking her created ones where he planned to have a wedding…with her as his wife. That helped her make up her mind and she said, "Tell Heihachi, I'm sorry. But I have to go where I can be useful. Even if it means I'm on the run for the rest of my life."

"Sure. Whatever…" Jin muttered.

Aqua stepped onto the boat, with Amalia and her small amount of luggage, and the ship's bell rang, indicating that they were about to leave. As the ship pulled out, Jin saw his hawk-like _Animus_ return to him. He whispered something and Jin said, "Well, her loss. I warned her."

* * *

"_Aqua! No!"_

"_But Mom! If this is why the killer took Mar's life, then I must…!"_

"_No, taking that with you will attract those severely loyal to the Sanctum!"_

"_Then why do we have this keychain here? If it's so dangerous, why did we have this in the first place?"_

"_Because…"_

"_This holds answers as to why my brother was killed. So…I'm going and don't try to stop me!"_

"_If you leave…then I cannot protect you from the Mysidian forces loyal to the Primarch."_

"_I know. I'll be careful, Mother."_

* * *

Violent rocking of the ship caused Aqua to wake up in her small cabin. It was far too small, barely enough room to walk, so that made it difficult to reach the door. She opened it and saw people running about, in a panic. The crashing of thunder was heard, and the dancer figured that they had ran into a storm. But, shouldn't the seas be peaceful during winter, she thought?

"This was a bad idea! A bad idea!" Amalia shouted, hopping into Aqua's arms.

She dropped her _Anima_, looking through her luggage for the keychain with a teardrop token. Relieved as she found it underneath a pile of clothes and her passbook, she took it and the government document, ready to abandon ship if worse came to worse. The ship's bell rang and Aqua heard, "Everyone, get to the lifeboats!"

The azure-haired dancer walked as fast as she could, trying to keep her balance as the ship's rocking became worse. Water also started coming in, from shattered windows in other cabins and cracks forming in the hull. She made it to the deck of the ship, only to see the chaos the raging storm had caused.

Looking up at the dark skies, Aqua saw that it wasn't a normal storm. Instead, there was an odd red and black sphere, pulsating with dark energy above. Purple lightning struck the waters and made the waves react violently, almost as if darkness was controlling the storm. Realizing that was the case, Aqua tried to find the captain, to warn him to attack the sphere.

But it was too late as a massive wave appeared. It was dark purple in color instead of the usual deep blue and it crashed onto the ship, sending everyone under. Aqua, swimming up and holding onto Amalia, managed to get onto some flotsam and saw the sparks of light that were the _Animi_ of the people on board. Thousands of light and hearts filled the air, to which the sphere of darkness absorbed them all.

She suppressed tears, the sight of Heartless taking hearts not one that she was used to. It reminded her of when her brother had been killed, all over the keychain she carried. The thought that her carrying it caused their deaths came to her and Amalia screeched, saying, "That's not your fault at all! You know that!"

"But…" Aqua started.

"No 'buts'. Get onto the flotsam and see if we can take out that sphere," Amalia said, climbing onto Aqua's shoulder.

After balancing herself on pieces of wood that was raft-like, Aqua looked up at the sphere, summoned a fireball to her right hand and shot it, yelling, "Fire!"

The tiny flame slapped the sphere and it wasn't affected. Another fireball and a wave of ice, but the Heartless still wasn't affected. Getting annoyed, Aqua said, "Okay, what now? I can barely do anything from here."

"_Use the Keyblade."_

Hearing a girl's voice, Aqua looked around, seeing nothing but the dark skies, lightning and crashing waves. The voice spoke again, urging Aqua to use a weapon that was forbidden by Sanctum followers. Well…she really wasn't one anymore…Not after what happened.

"_The keychain. Hold it in your hands."_

Aqua wondered how the voice knew about it, but had no time to ponder as the sphere finally noticed her. It released waves of darkness, sending one her way. She jumped into the cold waters as the wave cut through the raft and ruins like butter. Swimming towards the next set of stable flotsam, Aqua climbed back up and pulled the keychain out of her jacket pocket.

"_Now, think about a weapon."_

"Any weapon?" Aqua asked, unsure but willing to try anything to stop the Heartless.

"_A sword. Hurry!"_

The sphere barreled towards her and Aqua held out her hand, thinking about a rapier. Light came from it and the flash of light was blinding. Hearing a screech, Aqua peeked from shutting her eyes and saw the sphere of darkness retreating. Seconds later, a weight and the dancer found a metallic blue, key-shaped sword.

The name "Rainfell" came to her and Amalia screamed, "Aqua, look out!"

An arc of darkness struck the makeshift raft she was on and the dancer was dragged under the waves…

* * *

"_Huh? Who's that…?" Kairi asked._

_She saw a youth with blue-colored hair drowning after waking up and finding herself still stuck in the abyss. Floating towards her and holding the compass close to her chest, Kairi could see ocean waves, purple instead of blue, surrounding her. The voice urged her to get closer and she tried to, but the dark waters kept pushing her back._

"_Oh…Please don't drown! I'm coming, Miss!" Kairi said._

_She didn't think why she was worried, but she had to help that young woman. Maybe she could help her out of the darkness and back to her room in Departure, Kairi thought. As the dark waters grew opaque, the light from the compass engulfed Kairi and she began glowing with the same light. The light this time wasn't filled with searing pain, as if she was burning from the inside out. Instead, it was a gentle light, one that felt light heat from a fireplace on a snowy night._

_After several tries, Kairi finally made it to the young woman. The voice then spoke, telling Kairi, "Use your power. The Cacciatore will guide your hand."_

_Looking at the compass and seeing that she was glowing white, Kairi mentally asked what she could do. An image of her holding what seemed to be a Phoenix's Plume in her hands came to her and she said, "I don't have that."_

"_You don't. But, that is among your power. Think of reviving her, waking her heart. You'll then gain the power to heal."_

_It was almost as if the voice knew her desire to be a White Mage. But that wouldn't be possible unless that voice was omnipresent. Which was only a trait the Holy Mother had. But, that wasn't a pressing matter and Kairi did as the voice told her. _

_She thought of a Phoenix in flight and the fallen getting revived under its glow. A white plume appeared in her hands and she placed it on the young woman's chest. The azure-haired youth gasped for air and disappeared, with Kairi still being stuck in the abyss._

"_Aw! I thought that'd help me escape…" Kairi pouted._

* * *

Aqua gasped for air, coming out of the water. She found the dark sphere, still hovering in the air and absorbing the hearts of the fallen. Seeing a rock formation, Aqua swam, carrying Amalia on her head, who's fur was soaked.

Amalia shivered and asked, "What…What was that?"

Aqua didn't answer, getting to her feet and wondering how to attack the darkness. A voice, clear as if the person was next to her, said, _"Use the Keyblade!"_

"The what?" Aqua asked.

Amalia stared and the voice said again _"The Keyblade! Hurry! Hold out your hand and use Artes!"_

The Rainfell appeared in her hands and Aqua said, "I…I don't think I can use a forbid…"

"Just use it!" Amalia screamed, seeing the dark sphere barreling towards her.

Aqua aimed at the sphere and yelled, "Fira!"

A large fireball was launched from the tip of the Keyblade, flying and striking the enemy. The sphere fell, but rose again to continue its attack. It unleashed cutting waves of darkness and Aqua held up her Keyblade. A barrier of light surrounded her, bouncing the darkness away.

She retaliated with another salvo of fireballs, hitting the sphere three times. The sphere didn't seem to weaken and the storm around Aqua had gotten worse. It was also too dangerous to use Thunder Artes, as the lightning would simply strike her instead as she was soaked by seawater. And Blizzard Artes was also dangerous as the cold would freeze her.

"What to do…?" Aqua muttered, holding up the weapon again to defend herself.

"Um…Um…I don't know!" Amalia shouted, scared.

The darkness billowed, charging at her one final time. Aqua shut her eyes, so sure that her end was coming. But her salvation came as she heard the blast of a ship's horn cut through the storm and a salvo of cannon fire struck the darkness.

The sphere attempted to attack, but another salvo came from Aqua's right. Two ships, quite large, but not as large as the galleons of the Sanctum's Armada, appeared. After several minutes and locking the dark sphere in what Aqua thought was a "full-HP-to-death" combo, the Heartless was defeated. It shattered like glass and released not only its heart, but the many hearts of the passengers that were on board the ship when it was destroyed. The storm that came with the Heartless subsided, revealing calm, moonlit skies.

The ship on Aqua's left anchored as well as the one on the right. Relieved, as she thought they were among the Sanctum, Aqua collapsed and sighed. But, that wasn't salvation that aided her as she spotted red and green flags that had the symbols of a hawk in flight and a wolf on the prowl. The ship on the right had a small lifeboat row to her and all the crewmembers were those with wolf _Animi_.

Two of them grabbed her by her arms, with Amalia hissing and scratching at the _Animi_. The wolves weren't impressed and another crewmember grabbed Amalia. He shot her in the back with a syringe full of a green and yellow-tinted liquid and Aqua said, "N-no! Yo-You're not…allowed to…"

Her vision quickly drifted off, to which she heard someone say, "Good. At least we got another one out of Sanctum's reach."

* * *

_And there's chapter eight. A bit short, but at least we're introduced to Aqua now. This time, she fled her home far earlier, over investigating her brother's murder. But, where is Kairi? Stay tuned and review, please?_

_-miano53_


End file.
